The evolution of tertiary education

Until a few years ago, tertiary education was only offered through the University of Malta. This has eventually developed and private organisations started offering courses of foreign universities creating diversity in choice and options for the acquisition of qualifications.

The introduction of technology in the educational sector created higher accessibility to this sector.

Moreover, Malta started its transition from an economy based on manufacturing to a more knowledge-based economy. All these factors together contributed to the development of tertiary education in Malta.

Malta during the 1990s passed through a new phase where its standard of living increased through the development of a new sector within the economy: tourism. The government also prepared for the development of another not highly exploited sector: financial services.

During these last five years, the emphasis moved towards the ICT trend and we assisted to the signature of the SmartCity agreement about two months ago.

These changes within the economy demanded changes in the educational system and new initiatives within the educational sphere have grown; MCAST, the Institute of Tourism and private institutions started offering courses brought over through foreign universities which focused on the needs of industry.

In fact the World Bank (2002) defines knowledge as the key factor towards development. "The ability of a society to produce, select, adapt, commercialise, and use knowledge is critical for sustained economic growth and improved living standards.

Knowledge has become the most important factor in economic development" (p.7).¹ Thus, the role of tertiary education with a knowledge-based economy has changed and evolved into a necessity rather than being a privilege as it was before.

While Malta is becoming more and more a knowledge-based economy; the Maltese are becoming more aware of the importance of knowledge and how their skills are enhanced through tertiary education as an indispensable tool towards the development of their career. Such awareness requires a wider choice of specialisations while it also enforces on our society the need to find new modalities towards tertiary education.

Consequently, tertiary education becomes part and parcel of the development of our economy and the more specialised and professional our workforce the higher the possibility that our economy develops toward a knowledge-based industry.

Changes in education options

Such economic changes demand a highly knowledgeable workforce and the Maltese tertiary education scene evolved as knowledge became the centre of the economy.

Qualifications became more of a demand by employers than ever. Certainly qualifications with experience are a bigger asset.

This stimulated the offering by a number of private institutions of courses, from diploma to doctorate level, which might have not been accessible before through the public tertiary education.

The industry demanded a wider variety of specialisations giving space to the private sector to enter into the education sphere.

These range from management to psychology and other specialisations which the Maltese industry was looking for.

This opening permitted those already in the workforce to go back to the study bench and build an academic qualification to strengthen their experience.

It also brought awareness of the need for continuous professional development and also those who already had a degree sought to qualify further mostly by taking a course in management or elevating their specialisation to a Master's or Doctorate level, enabling them to advance in their career to a managerial position and thus higher earnings within their company or a new company.

Companies learnt also that supporting the studies of their employees either by sponsorships or else by career incentives motivates their workforce to give a more qualitative output and thus in the long-term generating better profits toward the company, securing their jobs.

Modalities of tertiary education

Following the demands of the industry, tertiary education evolved alongside with the development of the internet making the world "a global village" more than ever. Studies took other forms from the traditional format that is tuition-based.

Distance-learning courses started to be developed as fast as the technology was developing.

Courses, in the latter format, had long been available but were more language-focused. There are subjects like medicine which cannot be studied through distance-learning but many other specialisations can be easily achieved through this method such as business studies, management, psychology, human resources management, tourism and others.

These are being offered now-a-days also through various private institutions in Malta.

The distance-learning format offers flexibility and opportunity to those who would like to continue working but also develop their career through their studies.

This method is enabling hundreds of Maltese people to acquire a diploma, first degree or higher qualification which till about 10 years ago was only accessible to those who either afforded to go to the University of Malta or else acquire a sponsorship or were able financially to pursue their studies abroad.

Distance learning courses have exploited the technological developments at large and those universities offering such courses created a virtual campus with effective direct communication with students and agents around the globe. Thus, tertiary education had become more accessible.

Malta as member in the EU

Malta joining the EU brought with it further developments such as the official recognition of qualifications and at the moment the EU is undergoing a thorough exercise so that all qualifications within the EU will be levelled against a number of criteria.

This would facilitate the recognition of qualifications when a citizen of a member state moves from one state to another. In Malta such a process is being conducted by the Malta Qualifications Council within the Department of Education.

These developments brought openings to Maltese citizens and to the industry in a way that specialisations and further education are not only accessible to the few, but to a much wider spectrum.

It is to be noted that many industries support the initiative of their employees to continue furthering their studies by either sponsoring their studies or else offering better working conditions after their studies are finished.

Today, we are bearing the fruits of this direct and indirect collaboration between the industry and tertiary education, both public and private institutions, giving a more professional and value-added service within the most important economic pillars: financial sector, IT and tourism.

"Tertiary education is a key part of lifelong learning and a cornerstone of today's knowledge society".²

References:

1. World Bank, (2002), Constructing Knowledge Societies: New Challenges for Tertiary Education, Washington.

2. Wagner, Alan, (1998), Redefining tertiary education, OECD Directorate for Education, Employment, Labour and Social Affairs, http://www1.oecd.org.

Mr Cappitta is managing director of the European Institute of Education (EIE). EIE is a higher and tertiary education institute licensed by the Ministry of Education, Youth and Employment. info@eieonline.com; www.eieonline.com