MAPTP in favour of Commission of Higher Education

The Malta Association of Private Training Providers (MAPTP) is in favour of the setting up of the Commission of Higher Education and wants to see a complete overhaul in the sector. It states that it believes that private training can become a vibrant industry complementing the already very important industry of the provision of the English language.

The MAPTP was recently set up with the aim of providing a strong national body for private education and training institutions in Malta. Today the MAPTP has over 30 corporate members employing hundreds of people on a full-time and part-time basis and trains on a yearly basis thousands of individuals from Malta and abroad.

Its mission is to work proactively with government, education and training providers, and industry and community organisations to ensure that vocational and higher education and training services are of high quality, provide choice and diversity, and are well targeted, appropriately delivered and widely accessible. To achieve this, the association will represent the private sector to government, education offices, industry and the public.

It will also promote the widespread participation of private education and training institutions in national initiatives. It also plans to disseminate information to and among members, and from members to external organisations and the public.

Following recent articles that appeared in the press about the nomination of Professor Juanito Camilleri for rector of the University, Rosanna Galea, MAPTP president, said that the University should not expect to hold a seat on the Commission of Higher Education unless such seats were given to other stakeholders as well.

The commission should be fair and unbiased. One of its objectives should be to recommend changes in the legal framework to give more space to private higher education providers to operate as well.

The MAPTP is also following the issue of accreditation of qualifications, including creating a national qualifications framework that fits into the European qualifications framework.

Ms Galea said that time is crucial as the members of the association were feeling frustrated that potential business from Malta and overseas is being lost because of weak or absent structures.

It is looking forward to working proactively with the authorities in this area so that business and employment is generated in and through the provision of general and specialist training in Malta

For more details contact Ms Galea on 2122-5884 or 9949-3588.