MGA Identifies Skills Gaps In Industry

By Brian Cullingworth, Last updated Nov 23, 2018

Surveys remote gaming licensees

The Malta Gaming Authority (MGA) has released the results of a survey undertaken to identify and understand the existing skills gap in the gaming industry in Malta.

The survey was conducted by the MGA’s Information Unit during the first quarter of 2018 and run amongst its remote gaming licensees.

Key highlights from the survey include:

• A total of 781 unfilled positions were reported by Malta-licensed remote gaming companies as at the end of 2017;
• Unfilled job vacancies were primarily in the game operation and development category at the operational level. This presents potential for Malta’s educational system to target the skills necessary to fill this category.
• 57 percent of respondents considered the lack of appropriate skills, in terms of either work experience or qualifications, as the main cause of unfilled vacancies;
• 60 percent of firms sourced experienced talent from other Malta-based firms of which 37 percent were already employed in the online sector and 24 percent in other industries.
• 15 percent of Malta-based operators recruited employees directly after completion of their formal education.
• 55 percent of firms organise in-house training and 21 percent overseas training for their employees.

In light of the study results and other previous initiatives, several policy efforts have been made to address identified skill gaps in a bid to increase the talent pool in the gaming industry and create more long term careers for both local and foreign students.

Educational programmes through the European Gaming Institute of Malta (EGIM), launched in November 2017 following an agreement between the MGA and the Malta College of Arts Science and Technology, began in October 2018.

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