New MCAST courses aimed at filling skills gaps in the jobs market will be on offer as of next October. 

The nine new courses were designed following talks between industry leaders and the college, among others.  

The Malta College of Arts, Science and Technology's project, Encounter, has had six roundtable discussions since April with the aim of matching courses on offer with the skills needed on the job market. 

The last panel discussion of the year was on Tuesday and looked at the skills employers need, the event doubling as the prospectus launch.  

MCAST education and training programme director Ramon Mangion said he hoped for more industry involvement in the future. 

Several sectors showed little interest in holding panel discussions and some discussions had a low turnout, he complained. 

MCAST CEO and principal James Calleja said “we can learn a lot from employers,” making the point that better job prospects for graduates will keep more young people in education for longer.    

The Malta College of Arts, Science and Technology, is one of Malta’s largest tertiary education institutions and offers a hands-on approach to education, focusing especially on vocational and practical training.    

Calleja said plans are underway to expand apprenticeships to the first year of studies.   

Students today want work experience, have money in their pocket and experience and learn outside the classroom also, he said.      

Education minister Clifton Grima said that all stakeholders had the common goal for students to develop and succeed. 

“We should not distinguish between academic and applied learning, but only focus on students reaching their full potential,” he said.   

Grima made the point that stigma towards vocational skills was still present. “Would we feel comfortable if our child took on a vocational subject?” he asked. 

The nine new courses on offer are:

Diploma in Early Years Education , Higher Diploma in Transportation and Logistics Management, Bachelor in Conservation (Honours), Bachelor of Science (Honours) in Digital Games Development, Master of Science in Applied Environmental Science (General), Master of Science in Environmental and Water Resource Management, Master of Science in Environmental Resource Management, Master of Science in Urban Environmental Science Management and  Master in Conservation  

The prospectus can be downloaded from http://mcast.edu.mt/