A Memorandum of Understanding signed between the Water Services Corporation (WSC) and the Malta College of Arts, Science and Technology (MCAST) will ensure more collaboration in order to provide students with the opportunity to start a career in the water sector.
Through this agreement, which was renewed for the next three years, MCAST students will have the opportunity to use of the corporation’s facilities and get hands-on experience.
This collaboration has been ongoing for the last five years, and has continued to thrive in the last few months. This was possible due to a pilot project that the Water Services Corporation undertook through the Erasmus+ programme. Through this initiative, Maltese and Gozitan students had the opportunity to go abroad to see first-hand how the water sector is managed in Netherlands.
During this pilot project students from Europe, including Maltese students, had the opportunity to grow their knowledge and vocational skills.
In an attempt to enable Malta’s water technology industry to become “a centre of excellence,”- thanks to the recent three million euro investment by the government towards apprenticeships – this MOU will see the encouragement of apprenticeships for MCAST students at WSC, as well as flexible courses for WSC employees who wish to enhance their knowledge in the sector of water technology, said CEO of WSC Ivan Falzon.
Seeing as water supply in Malta is “essential to our future”, this renewed MOU will further encourage students to take up interest in this sector of water technology, added Falzon.
Minister for Energy, Enterprise and Sustainable Development Miriam Dalli said that this agreement is identifying the current needs within the labour market whilst promoting synergy and cooperation.
Minister for Education Justyne Caruana praised these ongoing initiatives and collaboration, which have been ongoing for years, by the Water Services Corporation and MCAST.
Seeing as the government needs to be proactive in preparing students for the realities and needs at work and address the gaps in certain industry sectors, MCAST needs to be “instrumental in addressing these issues” said Minister Caruana.
She added that since “education seeps everywhere in the community and workplace”, tailor made courses for the sectors that are struggling to find qualified employees need to be promoted.