With or without you

Three years ago I published Malta's ICT strategy for the term finishing at the end of this year. There was little the opposition could find to criticise. But not to be the ones to join a chorus of approval, Labour rubbished the strategy for - of all things - being too ambitious and "over the top".

They were especially loud when they cast doubt on our effort to increase the annual output of ICT specialists from the 141 we had in 2002 to some 500 a year by 2006.

They said we would never manage to train so many people and, anyway, what would they do? Surely, ICT can never employ that many people. I think a bit of a context is useful here.

The debate on the new ICT strategy for Malta was happening in 2003 when Labour had barely recovered from its anti-Europe campaign and its crusade against the modernisation of our economy and the restructuring of private (and public) industries. It still tried to make people believe it was not necessary for our economy to move from low-income traditional manufacturing to higher-value industries and services that combine technology with people's capacity to change and innovate.

In spite of Labour, rather than because of it, we did manage to increase the number of newly-trained ICT specialists to just shy of 500 and they are not lining up in the job centre. If anything, our problem is finding quick answers to the one question investors ask us: How fast can we multiply the number of Maltese specialists several times over current numbers?

We have reached this point by improving infrastructure, training and resources at the university and Mcast. It is incredible to me now how our country existed for so long without a vocational college. When Labour's vandals abolished Mcast they amputated an entire generation of Maltese people, denying them the opportunity to obtain vocational qualifications in science and technology. That was the same time when everything in Labour's power was done to prevent people from graduating in the sciences.

It is just as incredible to me now that Labour acts surprised when we rank bottom in Lisbon rankings for capacity in science and technology. As if the absence of an R&D culture has no relationship to how long it took for us to attract students to the sciences in the tertiary level again. Incidentally, our R&D record is improving rapidly now and in spite of all odds we rank 12th in ICT-specific R&D. Labour would, of course, never acknowledge such an unlikely achievement.

Degrees are useful but not enough in today's economy. Investors appreciate well-trained graduates but they need specialists that come ready-certified with training in current technology. Over the past five years we introduced (and funded) training programmes certified by the world's giants: Microsoft, Cisco, Oracle, SAP and others. Labour branded a certification issued by Microsoft et alia, following training programmes by local training institutions, as "amateurish". What they cannot understand they do not merely criticise, they demean, deride, dismiss and promise to destroy. Vandals indeed. In spite of Labour, rather than because of it, almost 500 Maltese ICT specialists completed their training this year.

They will be soon followed by the over 1,000 students undergoing their training at the university, the Mcast and in private institutions funded by our myPotential programme. We are doing that with the partnership and association of major players who, like us (and unlike Labour), understand the full potential of Maltese young people.

Microsoft, SAP, IBM, HP, Oracle and others call themselves the strategic allies of the government in the construction of Malta as an ICT centre of excellence.

Early next year we will face from Labour more derision, doubt and dread when we treble our current targets. By 2009 we will have 1,500 new ICT specialists every year. They will all have well-paid jobs in high-value industries in our core ICT industry and around it. They will be working in the region's ICT capital, the richest conglomeration of global and regional players in the industry. They will continue their life-long training programme at the best-reputed campus of technology knowledge in the region.

I can see Labour again, hollering and cussing, as we all saw them on the eve of Malta's independence, of her industrialisation, of her entry into the EU and now on the eve of Malta's transformation into an ICT centre of excellence. Malta has an appointment with the future. And - with or without Labour - we are not going to be late.

Dr Gatt is Minister of Public Investments and IT.