Malta’s largest healthcare employer has set up a training centre in Dubai where employees can be screened and trained before coming to Malta. 

The Kore Group, a joint venture between the db Group and JCL Holdings Limited, has launched the Healthmark Training Centre in Dubai.

“Malta is competing with many other countries for the same talent. To ensure we have a steady flow of the right complement of carers and nurses for our hospitals and care homes, it is essential that we upgrade the way we source, train and deploy talent on a constant basis. That is what we are doing here,” Kore Group CEO Charlotte Sant Portanier said.

For the past seven years, the group has been recruiting healthcare staff from countries such as Bangladesh, Nepal, the Philippines, and India to meet local demand. 

Workers traditionally received training in Malta and were then deployed to their respective workplaces. They will now undergo a weeklong training course in Dubai before reaching Malta, learning about their role as care workers, how to communicate with patients and look after vulnerable people, food handling and infection control, among other things. 

The centre will also allow Kore to screen employees before they reach Malta, to ensure that prospective workers live up to their resumes. 

Located in the heart of Dubai Silicon Oasis, the training centre includes a training room, a hospital simulation room equipped with cutting-edge medical equipment, offices, meeting rooms, and a recreation area, the company said in a statement. 

The company said it would also be launching a training academy in San Ġwann featuring art facilities lecture rooms, a seminar hall, an applied nutrition lab, a hospital simulation lab with advanced medical equipment, private offices, and a recreation area. 

The academy is affiliated with Pearson (UK) and BELS English Language School (Malta) and will offer a range of courses, including the Pearson BTEC International Level 3 Foundation Diploma in Health and Social Care, Pearson BTEC International Diploma Level 2, and IELTS English Certification. 

Kore Group was established in 2006 as a joint venture between the db Group and JCL Holdings Limited. The db Group was founded by Silvio Debono in 1984 and operates in the tourism, hospitality and property development sectors. JCL Holdings was set up in 1989 by James Barbara and is one of Malta’s largest catering companies. 

Having started off by producing meals for airlines and state hospitals, Kore Group now also supplies healthcare workers to public hospitals and clinics as well as home care services, and operates a number of homes for the elderly across Malta and Gozo. It now employs over 4,000 employees across a range of operations.