Malta Developers Association President Sandro Chetcuti was one of the speakers at the launch of Skill Cards for the Construction Industry, earlier this week.
This is the first project of this nature in the country that is being led by the Building Industry Consultative Council, together with a several entities, among them the MCHFE, MCAST, the OHSA, the ETC, the BRO and the Department of Local Government.
The Skill Card system aims to raise standards in the construction industry and improve health and safety practices, while also giving the necessary recognition to the skills and capabilities of qualified workers.
In the course of this year, Skill Cards will be awarded to painters and plasterers, tile layers, assistant electricians and plumbers. Others who already hold a certificate of competence in other trades can also apply. It is planned that within five years all trades and professions related to the construction sector will be covered by this card.
Minister for Social Dialogue, Consumer Affairs and Civil Liberties Helena Dalli explained how the project was being launched after public consultation held last October when Government had launched a White Paper on the subject.
“Thanks to this Card, we are making another step forward to having greater seriousness and discipline in the construction sector. At the same time, we are investing in human capital both on the level of training as well as through investment in the workers’ health,” Dr Dalli said, adding that the Skill Cards are giving peace of mind to the consumer that the service being received was being given by qualified people.
Minister for Education and Employment Evarist Bartolo maintained that the introduction of the Skill Cards is an important step forward since the scheme is not only acting as a certificate of competence for those with the trade but is also a living proof of a genuine effort to give due credit for the work of those in construction.
BICC Chairman Perit Charles Buhagiar explained that a certificate of competence issued by a recognised educational institution, as well as a certificate of attendance for a health and safety course at the place of work need to be presented so that one is given a Skill Card. In instances where a person does not have a certificate issued by an educational institution, an application can be made to the ETC for a trade test to be conducted in that particular trade.
Addresses were also made by Dr Mark Gauci on behalf of the Occupational Health and Safety Authority on the authority’s contribution for the development of the course on health and safety at the workplace; Felix Borg of the Employment and Training Corporation on the way the trade testing is to be conducted on the various trades; and Michael Ferry from the BRO, the entity that will enforce the Skill Cards legislation.
Andrew Debattista of the National Commission for Higher and Further Education, the entity responsible for drawing up the competence skills for every trade at the various levels, also attended the launch.
At the start of the meeting, Nadette Azzopardi, who worked on and co-ordinated the project, made a presentation on the aims and the way the Skill Cards scheme will work, pointing out that applications can be collected from Local Councils.
For more details and further information on the project visit the BICC website www.bicc.gov.mt, call 22479309/ 22479329 or send an e-mail to [email protected].
25 May, 2016
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Imnedija l-Iskill Cards għall-Industrija tal-Kostruzzjoni
Il-President tal-Malta Developers Association (MDA), Sandro Chetcuti, tkellem waqt it-tnedija tal-Iskill Cards għall-Industrija tal-Kostruzzjoni iktar kmieni din il-ġimgħa.
Dan huwa l-ewwel proġett tax-xorta tiegħu f’pajjiżna li qed jitmexxa mill-Kunsill Konsultattiv għall-Industrija tal-Bini (BICC) flimkien ma’ diversi entitajiet fosthom l-NCHFE, l-MCAST, l-OHSA, l-ETC, il-BRO u d-Dipartiment għall-Gvern Lokali.
Is-sistema tal-Iskill Cards għandha l-għan li tgħolli l-istandards fl-industrija tal-kostruzzjoni u ttejjeb il-prattiċi ta’ saħħa u sigurtà filwaqt li tagħti wkoll għarfien xieraq lill-ħiliet u s-snajja’ tal-ħaddiema kwalifikati.
Matul din is-sena, l-Iskill Card ser tinħareġ għal bajjada u kaħħala, dawk li jpoġġu l-madum, assistant electricians u plumbers. Oħrajn li diġà għandhom ċertifikat ta’ kompetenza fi snajja’ oħra jistgħu japplikaw ukoll. Hu ppjanat li fi żmien ħames snin is-snajja’ u l-professjonisti kollha fis-settur tal-kostruzzjoni jkunu koperti b’din il-card.
Il-Ministru għad-Djalogu Soċjali, Affarijiet tal-Konsumatur u Libertajiet Ċivili Helena Dalli fissret kif dan il-proġett qed jitnieda wara konsultazzjoni pubblika li saret f’Ottubru li għadda fejn il-Gvern kien nieda White Paper dwar is-suġġett.
“Permezz ta’ din il-Card se nkunu qed nagħmlu pass ieħor biex ikollna aktar serjetà u dixxiplina fil-qasam tal-kostruzzjoni. Fl-istess ħin qed nagħmlu investiment fil-kapital uman sew fuq livell ta’ taħriġ kif ukoll permezz ta’ investiment fis-saħħa tal-ħaddiema” qalet il-Ministru Dalli.
Dr Dalli qalet li l-Iskill Cards se jkunu qed joffru s-serħan tal-moħħ lill-konsumatur li s-servizz li se jirċievu qed jingħata minn persuni kwalifikati.
Il-Ministru għall-Edukazzjoni u Xogħol Evarist Bartolo sostna li l-introduzzjoni tal-Iskill Cards hija pass importanti ’l quddiem hekk kif din l-iskema mhux biss se tkun isservi biss bħala ċertifikat ta’ kompetenza għal min għandu sengħa iżda hija wkoll xhieda ħajja ta’ sforz ġenwin biex il-ħiliet ta’ dawk li jaħdmu fil-kostruzzjoni jingħataw għarfien xieraq għal xogħolhom.
Iċ-Chairman tal-BICC, l-Perit Charles Buhagiar, spjega li biex wieħed jingħata l-Iskill Card irid jippreżenta ċertifikat ta’ kompetenza maħruġ minn istituzzjoni edukattiva u rikonoxxuta kif ukoll ċertifikat ta’ attendenza għal kors dwar is-saħħa u s-sigurtà fuq il-post tax-xogħol. F’każ li persuna ma jkollhiex ċertifikat maħruġ minn istituzzjoni edukattiva din tista’ tapplika mal-ETC sabiex tiġi trade tested fis-sengħa tagħha.
Saru wkoll interventi minn Dr Mark Gauci f’isem l-Awtorità għas-Saħħa u s-Sigurtà fuq il-Post tax- Xogħol (OHSA), fejn tkellem dwar il-kontribut tal-Awtorità fit-tfassil tal-kors dwar is-saħħa u s-sigurtà fuq il-post tax-xogħol, mis-Sur Felix Borg mill-Korporazzjoni għax-Xogħol u t-Taħriġ (ETC), li spjega l-mod ta’ kif isir it-trade testing fuq diversi snajja’, u mis-Sur Micheal Ferry mill-Building Regulations Office (BRO), l-entità li ser tkun qiegħda tinforza l-liġi tal-iskill cards.
Għal din it-tnedija attenda u tkellem ukoll is-Sur Andrew Debattista f’isem l-NCHFE, li hija l-entità responsabbli għat-tfassil tal-istandards tal-ħiliet għal kull sengħa fid-diversi livelli.
Fil-ftuħ tal-laqgħa, Nadette Azzopardi li ħadmet u kkordinat dan il-proġett, tat preżentazzjoni dwar l-għanijiet u l-mod ta’ kif se taħdem l-iskema tal-Iskill Cards, filwaqt li qalet li l-applikazzjonijiet se jkunu jistgħu jinġabru faċilment mill-Kunsilli Lokali.
Aktar dettalji u informazzjoni dwar il-proġett jistgħu jinkisbu mis-sit elettroniku tal-BICC www.bicc.gov.mt, billi ċċempel fuq 22479309/ 22479329 jew tibgħat e-mail fuq [email protected].
25 ta’ Mejju, 2016