MCAST's Institute of Mechanical Engineering

Mechanical engineering is a very important discipline and is also a highly important aspect of any modern knowledge-based economy. It plays a significant and important part of everyday life for all members of society as it embraces sectors with which we constantly interact, including transportation, such as maritime, avionics and motor vehicles, as well as other areas like manufacturing and plant services.

MCAST's Institute of Mechanical Engineering is responsible for training individuals interested in pursuing a career in mechanical engineering through its different courses; courses which prepare students for a fascinating career in a modern technology-driven engineering sector. In this regard, it must be noted that all programmes on offer at the institute have the appropriate electrical and electronics content required by the modern engineering industry.

Like most other institutes at MCAST, the Institute of Mechanical Engineering took over two pre-existing institutions: the Technical Institute M.A. Sapiano, which used to provide technical courses at technician level; and Umberto Calosso, which provided such courses at craft level.

Thus, MCAST offers students different academic abilities, to study at an institution at all established levels, through a multi-point entry and exit Vocational Education System. These levels will be in line with the proposed Malta National Qualifications Framework as drafted recently by the Malta Qualifications Council on the guidelines of the European Qualifications Framework.

The Institute of Mechanical Engineering goes beyond the traditional basic mechanical engineering courses, embracing complementary disciplines, such as courses in Motor Vehicle Engineering, which also includes body repair and spraying, manufacture engineering and plant servicing.

The institute is always ready to diversify its academic programmes according to the needs of industry. This is in line with MCAST's mission statement: "to provide universally accessible vocational and professional education and training with an international dimension, responsive to the needs of the individual and the economy".

In this regard courses were specifically created to prepare students for a career in the aircraft industry as aircraft maintenance technicians. The institute also had requests for the training of manufacturing engineering technicians and also line maintenance technicians - a role in great demand by the local industry.

Following apposite requests, the college, in collaboration with the ETC, mapped the needs of industry with MCAST programmes. Following a sincere and fruitful dialogue between all stakeholders, strengthened by a pragmatic approach, MCAST made some curriculum adjustments and created a sound environment to launch new programmes and courses in response to the economy's needs. This collaboration is an ongoing one, and through regular meetings held with industry, students' progress is monitored and courses are continuously being evaluated.

Links with industry do not stop here. Some parts of courses which could not be held at college premises due to lack of specialised equipment have been carried out on industrial grounds. In addition, the Institute of Mechanical Engineering has organised tailormade courses for the further training of employees and implemented three-week work placement programmes for full-time students.

In this way, it nurtured a partnership between education and industry: a partnership which will undoubtedly contribute to the enhancing of a more effective workforce in the very near future.

MCAST is committed to deliver the best possible value added vocational training to its students. Consequently, it is heavily investing in and continuously improving resources at its disposal.

Latest additions to its resources at the Institute of Mechanical Engineering include the autolab, acquired through EU funding, and the installation of new software on CNC didactic machines. Also in line with this policy are the projected new labs, which will enable students to complement their theoretical knowledge with practical and experimental work.

In this regard, the institute has initiated collaboration with the Faculty of Engineering of the University of Malta to enable its students to make use of sophisticated equipment found at university, a possibility which has already been availed of.

University students following a degree course in Engineering have followed a six-week course in basic mechanical and electrical engineering at MCAST. Moreover, teaching staff from both institutions in the engineering sector are meeting regularly to map the higher level courses at MCAST with programmes in initial years leading to a degree in Engineering. This will facilitate promising MCAST students to further their studies at the University.

MCAST students are also offered the opportunity to undertake work experience abroad through the EU Leonardo Mobility programme. During the past years students from the Institute of Mechanical Engineering have had the opportunity to work in world renowned firms in Germany, Denmark, Austria, Belgium and Italy, thereby enhancing their work experience, their CVs, as well as their technical knowhow, which they have eventually utilised locally for the benefit of Maltese industries.

Value added vocational training is not limited to students only. The institute is committed to extend it to its teaching staff. The vast majority of staff are highly qualified in engineering and possess a vast and long industrial experience.

Consequently, MCAST's first objective was to provide them with the pedagogical tools and skills as well as teaching methodology. This is being achieved through an 18-month Vocational Teacher Training course.

The MCAST is also ensuring that its technical employees keep abreast with the emerging technologies found in industry. In this regard, a further link with industry has been providential, enabling MCAST lecturing staff to undertake short stays in industry, both locally and abroad.

Another area in which MCAST's Institute of Mechanical Engineering is striving hard to improve is the teaching of Vocational English, including report writing and spoken English. It has developed a long-term policy in this regard and considerable progress has been achieved, though much more still has to be done.

The institute has embarked on a European Comenius project in this field. The college has been designated as the co-ordinating country in developing teaching methodology guidelines for the delivery of Vocational English through the technology medium. Apart from Malta, the participating countries are Finland, France, Italy and Slovenia.

MCAST is not just about vocational education and training programmes enabling students to match their chosen careers; it is more about the holistic development of its students. The Institute of Mechanical Engineering seeks to implement the following philosophy: 'Enterprise skills are being delivered by specialised people, leadership skills are embedded in certain subjects, while social aspects are catered for by voluntary work activities organised by our dedicated lecturing staff'.

An educational institution cannot stop on past and present achievements. This is much more so in the case of an institution focused on delivering education that brings together technology and industrial needs, both areas in which rapid and constant changes are the norm!

In this regard, the Institute of Mechanical Engineering is already looking forward to new pastures in marine engineering and alternative energy technologies.