Swatar training centre receives ICT award

Swatar Training Centre (STC), in Dingli, was awarded the National Computer Centre Education Academic Excellence Award 2005 in recognition of the outstanding academic results of its students.

Each year, NCC Education holds four examination sessions for their mainstream qualifications in business and IT leading to UK degrees.

In order to recognise the hard work and effort invested by NCC education students worldwide, the top five students on each programme are awarded a scholarship towards their next level of study with NCC Education. Each year over 50 scholarships are awarded.

In the 2004 examination sessions, STC students Alex Cachia, 25, and Antoine Azzopardi, 36, were awarded the High Achiever Awards for the NCC Education International Advanced Diploma in Computer Studies. Many more STC students were recognised for their efforts on the NCC Education Roll of Honour.

Peter Ford, head of the School of Computer Science and IT at the University of Nottingham, presented the NCC Education Academic Excellence Award 2005 to Patrick Pullicino, CEO of the Swatar centre, at NCC Education's 4th International Conference in Bali last month.

Mr Pullicino said: "We are extremely pleased. An award like this reflects the quality in our training delivery and is a true measure of our performance with other centres worldwide".

STC is backed by MITTS, the government's IT consultancy, and Nucleus Training International Ltd, a collaborative venture comprising some 14 IT firms.

As testimony to local demand for international, industry qualifications and STC's reputation for excellence in ICT training, the centre has seen a huge rise in student numbers in the past few years. It now has some 600 students following a range of courses from basic IT competence certification through to B.Sc courses.

The managing director of NCC Education UK, David Pottinger, said that STC students in particular regularly achieve the highest results, beating off fierce competition from students in over 45 countries.

The STC said this award is for tutors and staff who deserve recognition for their time and investment in developing students, many of whom go on to become sector leaders in their chosen field of study.