The MFSA and the Guidance and Counselling Unit within the Education Division recently concluded a job shadowing pilot programme during which a number of secondary school form four students had the opportunity to experience different work environments within the financial services sector.
This initiative was undertaken within the scope of the strategy for promotion of careers within the financial services sector as laid down in the action plan recently launched by the MFSA's Education Consultative Council. This scheme complements the exposure being provided to students at secondary school level during periodic familiarisation visits to the MFSA during their scholastic year.
In recognition of the efforts being undertaken in this regard, 13 industry participants including industry associations, licence holders and financial services practitioners participated in the programme together with the MFSA. These were HSBC Bank Malta plc, Middlesea Insurance plc, First United Insurance Brokers Ltd, KPMG, Deloitte, Jatco Insurance Brokers Ltd, Elmo Insurance Ltd, Global Capital plc, Malta Insurance Association, GasanMamo Insurance Ltd, Atlas Insurance PCC Ltd, Mediterranean Insurance Brokers (Malta) Ltd and Risk Insurance Brokers Ltd.
The scheme provided 50 students from government, independent and church schools with the opportunity of observing a number of jobs, both of a technical and administrative nature that are typical within the sector. In turn, they were requested to log down their observations and exchange views both with their mentors and with the school counsellors that were monitoring them during the programme. The job shadowing placements did not carry any remuneration and were subject to all the rules and policies that were applied by the participating entities.
Following their placements, students were awarded a certificate issued jointly by the ECC and the Guidance and Counselling Unit on completion of the programme. The awarding ceremony took place during a meeting held on July 15 and was attended by the participating students, their parents and also representatives from the financial sector involved.
The meeting presided by Prof. Charles J. Farrugia, chairman of the ECC and by Stanley Zammit, service manager at the Psychosocial Services Unit at the Education Division constituted an excellent opportunity for all parties concerned to share experiences and to put suggestions for the enhancement of future programmes of a similar nature.