Mita and the University of Malta today announced a collaboration agreement for the provision of new ICT courses to meet industry's needs. This entails an investment of €252,000.

The curricula for the courses are being formulated by the e-skills Alliance, formed of Mita (the government's IT agency), the University and private sector organisations, which has drawn up an action plan to fill a gap in ICT skills needed by industry.

Infrastructure and IT Minister Austin Gatt said the alliance will next year open three new ICT degree courses which have been tailored to meet industry's needs. The ICT students will graduate with the skills set required by the ICT industry.

Speaking at the University, the minister said the courses were being formulated to bridge gaps between the education sector and ICT.

Rector Juanito Camilleri welcomed the closer collaboration between the University and the ICT industry facilitated by the eSkills Alliance.

“Although it is important to ensure that graduates master fundamental and underlying principles, it is equally crucial that graduates are exposed to emerging trends and technologies and gain an insight into the current challenges being tackled by the emerging global ICT industry.”

He said that the discussion taking place within the eSkills Alliance was addressing current needs, but, was also keeping an eye on the future.

The agreement signed with MITA would augment the investment already committed by the University to ensure the Malta's ICT graduates were world-class, Prof. Camilleri added.

The project started two years ago with studies on the ICT needs of local industry in the medium and longer term.The courses will be built around business skills.

More information at https://www.mita.gov.mt/eskillsalliance