Published: 24.01.2020, 18:55
2 min read
Malta’s Gaming Authority (MGA) recently published an industry study that analyzed the present skills gap in the gambling industry. The survey was operated through MGA’s Information & Research Unit and included all legal operating gaming companies. The key findings point to the potential of the gaming industry in Malta and a need for a more skilled workforce.
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Key Findings
The survey, conducted in 2019, points to a fact that there were 730 open gaming positions in Malta at the end of 2018. Approximately 68% of the positions are within the operational level.
Additionally, the survey pointed out that 69% of the positions remain open for no more than three months, indicating a lack of manpower. The main reasons for this are lack of experience (28%), competition (27%), and lack of qualifications (21%).
According to the results, over a third of the companies actually recruited their competition’s employees. Additionally, 9% of the companies reported recruiting workers immediately after the completion of their formal education, thus indicating the strength that education plays within the industry.
Understanding the Climate
According to Peter Spiteri, the Chief Finance & Programme Management Officer, who is in charge of the Information & Research Unit: “We are pleased to publish the second paper on the Skill Gap Affecting the Online Gaming Industry with a view to shed light on the current state of play regarding human capital found on the island.”
The published report indicates that 69% of the employed people in the online gaming industry are not Maltese. This is a clear sign that there is a need for outside workers in order to sustain the needs of the industry.
High potential to be harnessed
Spiteri further implied that even though there has been a lot of progress within the industry “through the establishment of the European Gaming Institute of Malta” and the “Gaming Malta’s Student Placement Programme initiative”, the conducted study points that there is a lot of space for future improvements within the industry, mainly from the Maltese’s educational system in providing more skilled workforce in the future.
As it seems, Malta’s gambling industry is in dire need of workers and it is no wonder that many non-Maltese are arriving and working there. It will be interesting to see how Malta’s government plans to tackle this lack of workforce at the operational level, whether through education or outsourcing.
