The Manufacturing Economic Group of the Malta Chamber of Commerce, Enterprise and Industry and the Ministry for Education recently launched the ‘GO4Industry Teacher Internship Programme’ pilot project.
The first edition of the programme is aimed at exposing teachers of science subjects in secondary schools to the opportunities and the cutting-edge technologies in Malta’s manufacturing industry, in order for them to be more knowledgeable and better positioned to guide their students towards their future careers.
Chamber president Frank Farrugia said that currently, and for the foreseeable future, the main issues faced by businesses were related to the shortages of labour. “Most companies have vacancies and opportunities they are unable to fill and this translates into lost business and lost economic growth for the country as a whole,” he said.
“We are here today as a result of our forward-looking approach to achieve a sustainable environment where the labour market adequately serves the economy and its needs – and Malta’s teachers are the most effective channel through which we can achieve this goal.”
Patrick Cachia, chairman of the Manufacturing Economic Group executive board, said the GO4Industry Teacher Internship Programme was one of a number of ongoing projects aimed at increasing exposure to the many interesting career opportunities that exist in industry.
“My colleagues and I are convinced that a majority of people have certain unfavourable perceptions about the sector we operate in. Therefore, we felt that by exposing teachers to work experience in industry, they will carry their experiences to the classroom and pass on their exposure and knowledge of the practices and technology being applied in industry, together with the resulting career opportunities.”
Ministry of Education permanent secretary Francis Fabri said that this project bridges the gap that exists between the world of education and that of employment. He said that educators know education well but may not necessarily be sufficiently aware of the realities of the economy at present.
Ministry of Education director general Stephen Cachia praised teachers for being ready to go beyond their call of duty. He said that today’s project was clear evidence of this.
Mr Cachia also noted that the GO4Industry Teacher Internship Programme was a great opportunity for educators to better understand the way businesses think. He said that the Malta Chamber and its members were known for their ability to think outside the box to address challenges.