Students at Malta's College of Arts and Sciences will now be able to study Robotics and Artificial Intelligence as part of a series of new courses.
Principal James Calleja and Education Minister Owen Bonnici launched the new prospectus on Wednesday.
Calleja said that the college was ever-expanding, receiving up to 3,500 applications from new students every year.
The school year at MCAST could see up to 12,000 students, with almost 7,500 attending the college full-time.
The prospectus features the 191 courses available at the college across it’s six institutions, seven of which are brand new and being offered for the very first time.
The courses will provide students with training in finance insurance, retail, aircraft maintenance, robotics and artificial intelligence, transportation and logistics management, as well as the introduction of a bachelor’s degree in vocational education.
The college will be offering 11 master's degrees this year and an additional 21 courses have been revised to reflect updated standards.
“These courses have been designed in response to industry demands. We are proud to be a source of high-quality training for industry, with all the new courses having been verified by the Council for the Teaching Profession,” Calleja said.
Permanent Secretary for Education Frank Fabri said he was proud of what the college had achieved in its goals to expand resources in vocational education.
"Our aim has always been to allow students to study vocations as their first choice and not as an afterthought to conventional studies," Fabri said.
The sentiment was echoed by the minister who said the college was a successful institution doing excellent work in vocational training.
"It's a wonderful thing to see ongoing works at the MCAST campus as we know bigger and better things are on track to be achieved here," Bonnici said.
Bonnici praised MCAST Art and Design students who designed and put the prospectus together, saying it was beautiful for students to be highlighting the best things about the college for prospective students.
Calleja also paid tribute to MCAST student Kamonasish Chando, who tragically lost his life while swimming in Mellieħa on Sunday.
"This is a tragic event we could have never seen coming," Calleja said, while offering condolences to the victim's friends and family.
The MCAST prospectus for the 2020/2021 academic year can be viewed here.