Preparations are being made to introduce four vocational subjects in Maltese secondary schools, replacing the UK-driven BTech courses, Education and Employment Minister Evarist Bartolo said today.
In comments made during a tour of the Playmobil factory, he repeatedly stressed the need for more young workers to be encouraged to seek jobs in manufacturing industry.
"Working in manufacturing is not a Charles Dickens novel as many young people believe," he said.
He said young people would be encouraged to change their perception.
As from the coming scholastic year, a number of vocational programmes would be on offer in secondary schools in Gozo. They would include a change in the PSD course to include more career development programmes, the minister added.
The programmes would be made available in Malta once teachers are trained.
Toy-maker Playmobil employs 1,000 workers at its factory in Hal Far and another 500 are sub-contracted and work from home. The company recently invested €15 million in new technology.