The Malta Information Technology Agency (MITA) in collaboration with the Parliamentary Secretariat for Competitiveness and Economic Growth has launched the Student Placement Programme for employers seeking temporary additional ICT and ICT-related human resources.

The Government is directly assisting interested employers to tap into young and upcoming ICT talent, co-sponsoring the costs of this temporary placement, at 50 per cent of the hourly rate of €5.51 for private sector employers and 100 per cent for public sector employers. The placement is for 12 weeks from July till September.

The 2013 Programme pools students who are studying full-time an ICT qualification either at an Intermediate level, A-Level, diploma, degree or post-graduate level.

The Government has also pledged to supplement the co-financing incentive with additional services such as external and independent coaches to support employers and offer supervision and coaching advice to the students to ensure that the placement opportunity is truly exploited.

Employers from all economic sectors can benefit from fresh input and new ideas from young aspiring ICT practitioners or get the opportunity to tackle projects which might otherwise have been put on hold. The Student Placement Programme can be a cost-effective solution to recruitment needs without adding a full-time payroll cost and it also provides employers with the possibility of moulding and training potential employees during the placement itself.

While the students are at the workplace, employers can impart the technical and soft skills to the students they value most and also influence the future studies of the students. By forming an active part of the human resource complement of a company, the students can be immersed into the company culture and work ethos and thus be more employable in the future once they finish their studies.

The Student Placement Programme is one important measure along with other policy actions that MITA will be undertaking as part of its Digital Outreach programme. This policy programme is aimed at addressing the ICT talent requirements demanded by the industry and seeks to reduce the mismatch between the supply and demand for ICT skills. Over the past years, hundreds of employers and students have benefited from active participation in the programme.

MITA is accepting registrations of interest by employers and eligible students until Sunday. MITA will then administer the candidates’ applications and match them to the employers’ requirements. Employers will conduct their preferred recruitment process and the placements kickstart in early July.

If you are either a student or an employer and you would like to find out more about the Student Placement Programme including eligibility and other conditions, visit www.mita.gov.mt/spp.