What started out as a few institutes trying to fill in the gaps for locals seeking further education not catered for by the university has turned into a thriving economic sector.
Within just over a decade, the further and higher education sector has 120 accredited institutions – described by the commission responsible for accreditation as “a massive explosion”.
The previous government had set itself a target to establish Malta as a regional hub of excellence for education by 2020. But this meant moving away from the idea of providing education for locals and creating an environment which would attract foreign students.
The development of this sector lies in the hands of the National Commission for Further and Higher Education, which was formed two years ago, merging the National Commission for Higher Education – which helped with the policy perspective – and the Malta Qualifications Council, which handled the recognition of overseas qualifications.
“As the sector grew, the emphasis had to be put on new roles. Apart from the roles of the previous entities, we are also responsible for the accreditation and licensing of institutions setting up shop in Malta,” commission chief executive officer Edel Cassar explained.
The University of Malta, Mcast and the Institute for Tourism Studies are the only self-accrediting institutions in Malta, a process they handle through internal structures.
Anyone else – including the private sector, the Employment and Training Corporation and the Lifelong Learning Department – need the commission’s green light.
If everything is in place, an institution is granted a five-yearlicence, which is then reviewed before renewal. A one-year temporary licence is granted when there are minor shortcomings – which have to be resolved within a year.
As the sector grew, the emphasis had to be put on new roles. Apart from the roles of the previous entities, we are also responsible for the accreditation and licensing of institutions setting up shop in Malta
The criteria have been set out in considerable detail in legal notice 296/2012, which covers everything from Mepa approval from the premises to teachers’ qualifications and from the need for an internal quality assurance system to the need for at least one accredited programme.
Things are changing. Originally, local institutions were set up as franchises for foreign universities or certification bodies; now, satellite campuses are being set up. They do not only provide different modes of study and different subjects but have become a new economic sector in their own right, renting premises and creating jobs, as well as bringing students to Malta.
The latest to open its doors is the London School of Commerce Malta, joining seven other schools which are part of the LSC Group of Colleges. Its 750-square-metre premises in Europa Centre in Floriana will be able to handle 250 students at any time – up to 500 in all. It will start off by offering MBAs aimed at full-time foreign students and part-time locals but plans to offer courses in numerous other subjects.
“There are many other MBA providers but we offer them at much lower cost as this is what PSC tries to do in its centres, such as in Malaysia, India and Columbia. Other programmes cost between €8,000 and €10,000 a year, but we are offering it for under €6,000.
“We already have 30 people signed up for the first intake,” centre manager Maurice Rizzo said, adding that there was interest from Russia and North Africa as well as further afield in China.
“The UK has been shooting itself in the foot as it is making it very difficult for students to get visas. This leaves hundreds of thousands of foreigners seeking alternative countries in which to study.”
Partnerships with certifying bodies can be very effective. Ask the Malta Institute of Accountants. After decades offering its own courses, it joined up with the ACCA in 2003 to offer a joint examination scheme and had 1,558 enrolled students in 2013 – representing growth of 10.5 per cent per annum since 1995.
“We approached the ACCA fully prepared for rejection but they welcomed our proposal with open arms as it coincided with their international expansion plans,” MIA head Noel Zerafa explained.
“We knocked on the door and it swung open. For students, it meant that they could attend part-time courses instead of the ACCA’s distance learning. We had 400 students within the first year.”
One factor behind its success is that the course can be followed by students while they are in full-time employment, giving them the advantage of career progression and experience-gathering even while they improve their qualifications, he said.
It is not only the number of institutions which is growing but also the number of courses for which accreditation is being sought.
“Public appreciation is growing as people can see the added value of knowing to which level a course has prepared you, whether for further studies or for a job. And accreditation is also a quality seal,” Ms Cassar said.
Mr Zerafa highlighted the importance of complementary diplomas in various specialisations.
“The profession has become incredibly complex as it covers tax, risk, regulation and audit, to name but a few. So it is very important for other institutes – such as the Malta Institute of Taxation – to offer specialised courses,” he said.
One advantage of the private sector is that it is more aware of what industry wants – and it can also react faster to fill the gaps than state-owned entities like the university.
The managing director of Business Leaders, Morgan Parnis, said there were too many students who have a wealth of experience and industry knowledge but often few qualifications.
“With a job market becoming ever more competitive, students are now approaching organisations like ours to help them tap into better career opportunities that require such qualifications. Joining accredited programmes also gives students the opportunity to consolidate their business networks, tap into new skills and knowledge acquisition.
“I believe that the local market is the tip of the iceberg and that local academies and institutions should work together to improve this industry and attract non-residents to study in Malta,” he said.
The commission would like to get a more scientific view of the current situation and it is planning a comprehensive skills gap analysis in the first quarter of 2015.
As with any sector, there are obstacles and bottlenecks. For foreign students, the current cap on the amount of hours they can work – a visa condition – is considered to be too strict, especially since they could be in Malta for years. There are also still delays and problems getting visas.
A more serious issue is protecting the sector’s long-term reputation and standards. In the past, an institute was closed because it was not up to standard and the foreign awarding body had to transfer the students to another provider.
Sometimes, the problem is that students did not do their homework before signing up to a course – only realising when it was too late that their qualifications were not accredited and would not be recognised either by other educational establishments or employers.
“It is always be surprising that people will do many checks before buying a car but will spend that same amount of money on a course without even basic checks!,” commission director for quality assurance Sandro Spiteri said.
We have had cases of people trying to persuade us to speed up the accreditation – even by attempted bribery – because they want to get started. But the due diligence revealed gaping holes in the quality and provision. You have to be fast and efficient – but not hasty!
“The vast majority of providers are bone fide but you will always find the exceptions. Our job is to keep them out... We do get applications from abroad asking for accreditation and it is sometimes very obvious that there would be problems. We do turn down applicants – although we do not make a lot of noise about it,” Mr Spiteri said.
“We have had cases of people trying to persuade us to speed up the accreditation – even by attempted bribery – because they want to get started. But the due diligence revealed gaping holes in the quality and provision. You have to be fast and efficient – but not hasty! It takes a long time to build up a reputation but just one incident to tarnish it.”
The commission does external audits and spot checks, as well as following up complaints.
“The vast majority of cases are sorted out fairly quickly. There are only very few cases where we have to impose a formal sanction, as the law gives us to the right to do,” he said.
The commission is also aware of the need to protect students in case an institute closes for financial reasons. The law establishes the rights and duties of both provider and student but so far there is no system to implement it. This should hopefully be in place by October, following national consultation with stakeholders on various aspects of the law.
“We are going to pilot a student agreement with one college, which will help other institutes when they come to prepare their own,” Mr Spiteri said.
The Ministry of Education said that in line with the National Reform Programme issued by the Ministry for Finance, the Programme Implementation Directorate within the Ministry for Education and Employment offers various scholarship schemes for those pursuing studies at higher levels of education.
“Being aware of study trends, like studying/carrying out research while leading a family life, and of the needs of the local economy in a global perspective, these scholarship schemes are highly proactive by responding and adapting to exigencies.
“Their aim is to increase opportunities for further specialisation, as well as availability and employment of high-level graduates in the priority sectors of the knowledge-based economy in Malta,” the ministry said.
The fourth call for applications under the ‘Master it!’ Scholarship Scheme is open, and the application deadline is October 31 at noon.
The ministry added that the 2014 call for applications for the Malta Government Scholarship Scheme for Undergraduate Courses will be issued in the near future while the Commonwealth Scheme may be issued depending on the direction provided by the Commonwealth Commission in the UK.
Updates regarding future schemes as well as regulations and information on past calls for applications may all be viewed on the website www.myscholarship.gov.mt.