Mizzi urges Italian Presidency to invest more in education

Labour MEP Marlene Mizzi urged the Italian Presidency to ensure that the investments targeting education and young people are retained and improved in the European budget for 2015.

During a meeting of the Cultural Committee in the EP, Mizzi insisted with Minister Dario Franceschini, that Europe must stick to its important financial commitments concerning Erasmus+, enabling more and more young people in Europe to benefit from an educational experience abroad.

Unemployment is in fact one of the biggest problems in Europe today and top priority for the European Parliament. The EP is constantly calling for strong commitments to ensure that young people’s right to quality employment is fulfilled.

Mizzi pointed out that high unemployment rates among the European youth are further exacerbated with a deficiency of adequate skills and mismatch between the skills on offer and those in demand in today's fast-changing market environment particularly in ICT.

Mizzi also asked Italian Minister of Education, University and Research, Stefania Giannini,  the views of the Presidency regarding the  upgrade and increase ICT and e-business skills and making ICT careers more attractive for the young generation, promote high quality education and digital skills in European schools and universities, innovative ways of learning and teaching and holistic approach towards  apprenticeship. 

Giannini outlined that Europe need to adopt a new strategic thinking on the subject of education and training of young people.  Mizzi welcomed the initiative where entrepreneurship amongst the young people is also going to be promoted.

Mizzi also expressed disappointment that in the committee promoting culture and diversity there were no interpreters of the Maltese language.