Around 10 students with special needs have just joined an EU-funded preparatory course on social work, social policy, youth studies and social care.

The course is part of a Leonardo programme aimed at offering access to professional training.

This is the second batch of students, the first having started at the beginning of February. The intake includes vision-impaired people as well as some with mobility restrictions.

The course is being run by the University of Malta and the Malta College for Arts, Science and Technology, with international partners as well as the National Commission Persons with Disability.

The course starts with six two-hour sessions introducing the students to the subjects and is then followed up with sessions on key skills like time-management and study skills, as well as with personal skills like self-confidence and self-esteem.

Coordinator Charles Pace said that the course had, as anticipated, attracted a variety of people, from secondary and post-secondary students to adults who had never been encouraged in their youth to go on to tertiary education.

"The important thing is to give the participants a feeling of empowerment. If they decide to go on to professional training, they will compete on an equal level with other students but we have to make sure they get to the same level at the entry point. Many of these students were brought up thinking they would never have the chance to go to university. This is where empowerment comes in," he said.

"The course has been really successful. We are looking forward to be able to continue next year."

So far, the participants of the first batch have not indicated whether they will take up professional training but mentoring coordinator Andrea Dibben said that the feedback was very positive and attendance was regular.

"Some of them were very sceptical but were very pleasantly surprised by how accessible everything is. Of course, we went out of our way to make it so. We are providing transport, accessible venues, accessible learning materials, including ICT, and we are involving the Access-Disability Support Unit of the university. I am not sure that it would be the same for the whole campus but the important thing is to get them here," she said.

Although these courses are now closed, information may be obtained from Mr Pace on e-mail charles.pace@um.edu.mt or from Ms Dibben on andreadibben@onvol.net

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