Securing a job can be a struggle when life deals you a bad hand, which is why the Malta Trust Foundation is today launching the Youth Employment Support Programme (YESP) to mentor, train and prepare disadvantaged young people for work.

The Trust’s goal is to empower vulnerable individuals by providing supported employment services for those who fall through the net and fill the gap the State may not be able to bridge.

At a press conference this morning, the Malta Trust Foundation, chaired by Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca, signed three agreements with the Gasan Foundation and the Melita Foundation — joint sponsors of this project — as well as Michael Evans, a top European support employment consultant.

Mr Evans, who has worked in this field for close to 30 years and led a similar project in the EU, is optimistic this programme will serve as a catalyst to deliver positive job results. 

Mr Evans said: “There is a great need for such a service… There are numerous disadvantaged young people who want to work and this could be a great opportunity for them to get out of the downward spiral they got on through no fault of their own.

“Employers are in business to make money so we need to present them with opportunities that make business sense. My optimistic view is that everybody loves somebody who is trying to succeed against the odds; maybe I’m naive, but I believe that most will welcome the chance to help these vulnerable individuals.”

There is an acceptance in the EU that State employment agencies do not have the resources to provide the specific services individuals with dysfunctional life experiences need to have the confidence to seek and retain employment. 

The programme is intended to address this shortcoming by offering tailor-made plans to help vulnerable and disadvantaged individuals integrate into the mainstream workforce. 

The Malta Trust Foundation has also partnered with YMCA and the Maltese National Federation of the Friends and Pupils of Don Bosco to provide support and mentoring services to young people on the programme.

Ms Coleiro Preca said: “This initiative will be instrumental in providing better life opportunities for those who are marginalised, excluded from society, without education, without job prospects, and those who have had a brush with justice.”

The Malta Trust Foundation operates by joining forces with experienced businessmen, academics and professionals from the psychological field to provide individual and community beneficiaries with the best help possible. 

The Malta Trust Foundation’s Board of Administrators ensures each project embarked upon is well planned and costed and that it sets attainable and realistic goals for the provision of the best sustainable service.

This is why the Gasan and Melita foundations came forward to back this project.

Joe Gasan, chairperson of the Gasan Foundation, said: “This kind of positive social impact to support vulnerable individuals, social groups and organisations falls very much in line with one of the main pillars of our foundation.”

Tanya Sammut Bonnici, Melita Foundation chairperson, said the board was convinced of the benefits of the Employment Initiative.

“We believe this will make a real difference not only to the individuals who will directly benefit from the scheme, but also to those around them. We are therefore very happy to support this programme and look forward to hearing of its progress over the coming months and years.”