The European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training (Cedefop) has chosen Malta for a pilot project vocational education in secondary schools Education Minister Evarist Bartolo said today.

He was speaking during the launch of the 2012 Further and Higher Statistics Report of the National Commission for Higher Education.

Mr Bartolo said the centre would be carrying out a skills analysis in the labour market and work on introducing vocational subjects in secondary schools. The project, in collaboration with the European Commission, would help reduce early school leaving.

The minister expressed concern over the 22% rate of early school leavers, compared to the EU average of 12.8%.

He said that only 44% of fifth-formers managed to get the required six O levels to take up post-secondary studies. Around 50% got less than five subjects or did not even sit for the exams and Malta still topped EU countries, together with Portugal, in the list of people aged 29 or younger who were without the required EU levels of education.

The government would be working with the Commission for Higher Education to see how these annual reports would be widened to include retention rates and drop out rates.

He said the governemnt this year started an alternative programme for students who were to interested in taking their O levels, Some 200 have applied, but Mr Bartolo said he was not satisfied as another 150 could have applied, the programme features basic skills and on-the-job experience with the private sector.

Another project, in Gozo, sees vocational subjects offered to Fort III students who have already shown they lack interest in sitting for 'O' level exams.

In 2012 there were almost 28,000 who continued post-secondary education, a 70 per cent increase over 10 years. 

There was an increase of 26% who took up higher education. In 2012 Malta saw the highest number of students enrolling in higher or tertiary education, amounting to 14,700, a 27% increase from the previous year. 55% were women.

The most popular fields of study were social science, business and law, amounting to 36 per cent, followed by health and welfare at 14 per cent.

 

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