Malta Enterprise, in collaboration with the Institute of Tourism Studies (ITS), is launching a new support measure, Skills Pass Support, in the form of a tax credit.

The new measure will provide up to a 50 per cent subsidy to employers who are committed to enhancing their workforce’s skill sets by obtaining the Skills Pass.

ITS noted that this initiative aims to support “the tourism and hospitality industry [by] retaining existing and non-European employees that are already employed in Malta and who will need to obtain the Skills Pass.”

The Skills Pass will assess the workers’ level of English, knowledge about Malta’s tourism offering, and basic hospitality skills.

As of 28th May (yesterday), the Skills Pass became mandatory for Third Country Nationals (TCNs) to work in Malta.

TCNs are workers who come from countries outside the European Union (EU), European Economic Area (EEA) and European Free Trade Association (EFTA).

Currently, the requirement applies to those obtaining a work permit for the first time. Present TCN employees seeking to renew their work permits will need to present the Skills Pass from 1st January 2025.

On the other hand, all other current EU/ EFTA employees in the industry will be required to have a Skills Pass by January 2026. However, employers who engage Maltese and European workers without the required Skills Pass will not face any penalties.

Malta Enterprise and ITS state that the new scheme aims to make the Skills Pass more accessible, particularly for existing employees within the tourism and hospitality industry.

“By covering part of the financial obligation associated with the Skills Pass, this scheme seeks to foster a more competent and competitive workforce,” Malta Enterprise and ITS said.

Employers are being encouraged to benefit from this scheme to assist their current employees in obtaining the Skills Pass in time for their next work permit renewal.

To further elaborate on the details of this scheme and offer guidance to interested enterprises, ITS and Malta Enterprise will be hosting an information session on Tuesday 4th June at 10am.

This session will provide comprehensive insights into the application process, eligibility criteria, the benefits of this scheme and using the Skills Pass portal in relation to it.

Business owners and managers are also encouraged to participate in the webinar to understand how they can benefit from this scheme and ensure that their employees are aligned with the new Skills Pass regulations.

Interested parties to attend the webinar may register their interest by Monday 3rd June here.