As is fairly evident from reading newspapers, watching TV and participating in blogs, Europe has been experiencing a relatively uncertain economic phase over the past years. Malta, however, has not experienced this uncertainty in the same way as other countries. This is summed up in a 2017 report by the European Centre for Vocational Education and Training (Cedefop) which observes that in Malta “after the 2009 recession, real gross domestic product (GDP) growth quickly recovered to 6.4 per cent in 2015, more than three times higher than real GDP growth in the EU28 as a whole and exceeding the pre-crisis peak”.
In the Maltese context, the ongoing strong investment in education, which is the leading building block of a growing economy, was never as evident as it is now. People may readily see the modernised and developed infrastructure at the Malta College of Arts, Science and Technology (Mcast) and the recently opened up premises where the Institute of Tourism Studies (ITS) is housed. However, these infrastructural improvements are only a small part of several other measures that have been taken in order to further develop education services in Malta, particularly in recent years.
One of the major concerns that have been addressed, and justifiably so, is on empowering learners from disadvantaged backgrounds to understand the importance of studying and training in order to be prepared and qualified to eventually take up employment in their area of choice.
At schools, so-called ‘at risk’ students have benefitted from school-based initiatives. These initiatives have allowed them to feel engaged with their schools and with wider society. Other measures that have been taken to empower less academically able learners include offering them the opportunity to achieve certification at a lower level than the Matsec ‘O’ levels in certain subjects.
The ongoing strong investment in education, which is the leading building block of a growing economy, was never as evident as it is now
Added to this, an increasing number of courses have been developed at a foundation level at both Mcast and ITS, while other courses have also been developed at a pre-foundation (introductory) level.
The recent introduction of Vocational Education and Training (VET) to secondary schools is also aimed at producing a diversified labour force. Added to this, VET may serve to motivate learners to engage more when at school. For instance, a 13-year-old girl who has no interest in mathematics may suddenly take an interest in mathematics, on noting how relevant it is to what goes on in VET lessons.
The girl can be the ‘resisting’ daughter of a university professor; she is not necessarily someone who comes from a ‘disadvantaged’ background. Complementing this, the recent call for applicants for a member of staff at the University of Malta who will take on board the training of candidate teachers in the VET field offers testimony to how much effort, energy and resources are being dedicated to the promoting of VET, locally, by different stakeholders. The approach adopted is a teamwork approach.
The 2010 Bruges Communiqué and the “Riga Conclusions” of June 2015 recommend that workplace learning and training are employed in order to ensure that qualifications, particularly in vocational fields, have currency in the labour market.
In effect, workplace learning is at the heart of courses offered at Mcast and at the University of Malta in such vocationally inclined specialisations as teaching, social work and nursing. Workplace learning is also a core feature of apprenticeships which have recently been assigned to Mcast’s overall coordination for greater efficiency.
During the ‘practical’ part of their training, learners are enabled to understand how to apply both core skills and transversal competencies to their practice. Such transversal competencies include problem-solving, critical thinking and the undertaking of personal research.
This proactive management of the learning experience implies that learners need to apply knowledge and not only regurgitate knowledge during assessments. This not only attests to their competency but also heightens their motivation. They feel more engaged with what they are studying.
In this way, the spirit of the Bologna Declaration (1999) which aimed to reform the structures of higher education, and discussed the need to encourage learners to be critical thinkers, can be said to be respected.
Furthermore, qualifications that are awarded in Malta are aligned to the relevant European frameworks; thereby enabling Maltese people who want to work elsewhere in Europe, or else to engage in studies abroad, to do so easier.
In a nutshell, the changes that Malta has experienced in the education field are expansive and have borne positive results. They have enabled learners to be better prepared for today’s labour market by coming to appreciate more the need to be multi-skilled and to have the requisite competencies in order to succeed in today’s and tomorrow’s labour market.
Damian Spiteri graduated with a Ph.D. in the Sociology of Education in 2007 and is the author of a book on multicultural education.