I hope that with Smart City setting up in Malta students get a better chance to study at MCAST to obtain IT diplomas than my son and others like him did.

In the 2003/2004 scholastic year, my son applied to study at MCAST. He already had qualifications in programming which he had obtained while studying privately for his O-levels, one of them in Computer Studies.

To our great disappointment he was not accepted. We spoke to the institute registrar about how some students who did not have certification or O-levels were accepted and my son and others like him did not, all she could say was "to give everybody a chance".

A year later my son applied again for a first diploma course as he had the necessary requirements but again he was put on the waiting list. We had no other choice but to enrol him in a private institute which cost thousands of liri.

Between October and June 2005 at just 18 years of age he achieved Microsoft Certifications; MCP (Microsoft Certified Professional), MCAD (Microsoft Certified Ap-plication Developer) and MCSD (Microsoft Certified Solution Developer).

What if we didn't have the money? We know of others who, just like my son, had computing skills and who were also refused by MCAST. They had to give up their studies and career because they had no means to study privately. It's such a waste of talent.

I later learned that some of the students who enrolled at MCAST dropped out eventually. Now my son has been working in one of the leading software companies in Malta for over a year, where he is very happy and respected.

With Smart City on our doorstep IT professionals are now needed more then ever. I just hope that students get better treatment than my son and others like him did when applying to study at MCAST.