Setting the stage for tomorrow’s world

The free childcare services are playing multiple roles, making sure children under the age of three receive a quality educational experience and also helping families, especially mothers, return to employment. Something that perhaps has been sidelined in the media is the crucial aspect that this policy is not only for working parents, but also for those who take up a course, whether at ETC or within tertiary education.

This is in line with the government’s policy to make sure people are active, which does not necessarily equal employment, but can also mean improving on their education to make sure they have the right skills for today’s job market. I was pleased to hear a young mother this week say how she plans to return to University in September to take up an undergraduate course with her mind at rest that her one-year old will be provided with quality childcare services free of charge.

The introduction of breakfast clubs is also a positive measure that helps families and working parents, while keeping the child as the priority. While the first week of this initiative was a success, we need to make sure that we keep raising the bar and continue improving.

Many times it is the politician who acts as the figurehead of these proposals but behind the success of these initiatives, there is a large group of people who have worked tirelessly to make them into reality in such a short span of time. I must also say that, as in the case of childcare, the private sector has been a partner in this measure and should be regarded as an example of how the private and the public sectors can coordinate their efforts to find a solution that serves the interests of both.

These are among the pledges hoping to give life to people’s aspirations, whether they are returning to a job or resuming their education. Initiatives that improve people’s daily lives and help the middle-class, often forgotten in past years, aspire to a more prosperous future.

Over the past twelve months we have introduced measures that help people get into work, return to work or improve their skill set in order to find better employment. Our aim is that these people take up quality employment that secures their future and further improves on their capabilities and we will also be presenting plans over the coming weeks on how to achieve this.

However at the same time that we speak about people finding jobs, we must also concentrate our efforts to make sure those with creative business ideas find the support they need to take up this challenge. It was a pleasure to attend the Business Incubation launch at University this week, with my colleague, Minister Chris Cardona. The idea behind this is to attract people with interesting business ideas to this centre and, through hard work and commitment, turn their ideas into actual businesses. In some sectors, such as IT and online businesses, the initial capital to kick-start the idea is not as high as others.

The sky is the limit for those who have creative ideas, especially in the online industries. With an injection of capital and the necessary support towards the initial building blocks, this incubation centre can spark into action those with the right business ideas and commitment. My suggestion, to those who have the right combination of skills, is not to be afraid to take risks and to fight the temptation of being afraid to fail.