Malta Gaming Authority (MGA) chief Charles Mizzi says more needs to be done to address the skills gap in the country’s gaming industry.
The regulator’s latest Skills Gap Report found that 71.7 per cent of firms implemented in-house training or mentoring programmes to address skill shortages.
What’s more, 55.4 per cent increased employee retention efforts in a bid to close skill gaps.
MGA chief executive Mizzi also said the industry needs to build “stronger partnerships” with educational institutions, with only 25.8 per cent of firms recruiting directly from university graduates.
“The Skills Gap Report reveals important insights into the challenges and opportunities ahead, particularly the need for targeted skills development and stronger partnerships between educational institutions and industry,” Mizzi said.
“By addressing these priorities, we can ensure sustainable growth and maintain Malta’s leadership in the global gaming ecosystem.”
Lack of work experience, competition from other firms and insufficient qualifications were the most common reasons for unfilled vacancies.
The latest Skills Gap Report, reflecting data from 2019 to 2023, reveal that there were 92.5 vacancies per 1,000 employees in MGA-licensed activities, with a total of 885 open positions reported by online gaming companies in Malta.
Almost 80 per cent (79.2 per cent) were operational roles, with 21.1 per cent marketing and customer care-related.
A further 18.8 per cent of vacancies were in middle management roles, while 16.8 per cent of the roles available were technology-related.
Top management roles accounted for only two per cent of the vacancies.
The Skills Gap report found that 84.9 per cent of firms surveyed hired staff from other igaming companies.
“It is worth noting that over 75 per cent of ratings across all factors and years under review were categorised as ‘Satisfactory’ or ‘Very Satisfactory,’” the MGA’s report said.
“Moreover, it has been concluded that just 5.7 per cent of vacancies at the end of 2023 had been open for over six months, with the majority of roles being filled within just three months.
“These reflect positively on the dynamics of the labour market, skills competency, and training and development efforts within the sector.”
