The number of jobs created in the last five years and the number of students that graduated from tertiary studies institutions is not a coincidence claimed PN Deputy Leader Simon Busuttil this morning on Radio 101.

Education is a topmost priority for PN and it is for this reason that it is included in the PN campaign slogan said Dr Busuttil. During the past five years 20,000 jobs were created to accommodate the 20,000 students that graduated and 83% of youths have continued past their post-secondary education.

Over 2,000 scholarships have been given in the past five years with €6,000 being invested for every student each year, said PN Deputy Leader. This is the track record for PN and this is what PN will build upon, he continued.

To accommodate the newly graduates, the economy has been diversified from having a huge variety of jobs that pay a low wage to include jobs that pay better. Dr Busuttil explained that to make this kind of change you have to make sure that the human resources the country has available will cater for these new jobs.

PN Simon Busuttil spoke how in some sectors the unemployment rate is at 0% such as the pharmacy sector and the accounting sector due to the high amount of jobs available in these areas.

Dr Busuttil also spoke about the PN proposal for child care centres and the Club 3-16 that is being suggested. He explained that PN understands that parents need help to make sure that their children are being taken care of while they are out in the work force and that this scheme will help children in their education as well. For this reason PN is proposing the voucher scheme that will allow women who have a part-time or a full-time job, work on flexi-time or have gone back to studying to have their child care institution of their choice paid for.

PN also wants to improve on the stipend system, where the stipends will be increased pro-rata according to the COLA and student will be accredited with social contribution. Dr Busuttil claimed that stipends for certain courses will be increased and will also be increased for students coming from less fortunate families.