Higher Education strategy and Vocational Education training policy launched

The National Commission for Further and Higher Education and the Ministry for Education and Employment ahve launched the Higher Education strategy and Vocational Education training policy

National Commission for Further and Higher Education CEO Edel Cassar
National Commission for Further and Higher Education CEO Edel Cassar

The Higher Education Strategy and National Vocational Education Training (VET) Policy for Malta were launched earlier today during a seminar organised by the National Commission for Further and Higher Education (NCFHE) in collaboration with the Ministry for Education and Employment.

Edel Cassar, Chief Executive Officer for the NCFHE explained how the entity would be leading the implementation of the Higher Education Strategy.

 “This strategy is embedded within the overall strategic direction of the proposed Framework for the Education Strategy for Malta for 2014 to 2024 and aims to deliver specific targets with regard to Higher Education leading to qualifications at Malta Qualifications Framework Level 5 or higher,” Cassar said.

She explained the measures aimed to address the identified key concerns and priority areas which are to increase participation and attainment, reduce gender differences, encourage innovative content and programme design, and increase employability and entrepreneurship.

She stressed the importance of flexibility in order to accommodate changing circumstances, and the need for all stakeholders involved to collaborate for the best interest of the students.

Stephen Cachia, Principal and CEO of the Malta College of Arts, Science and Technology (MCAST), said that as Malta's largest vocational education institution, MCAST is committed to drive the implementation of the National Vocational Education and Training Policy.

“This policy builds upon the achievements in the VET sector over the last few years and it has become a key factor in enabling the educational sector to remain continuously proactive and receptive to the needs of local industry, thereby becoming an important player in Malta's economic growth,” Cachia said.

He added that the policy has also enabled thousands of students to further their studies and achieve their educational potential over the years.  He highlighted some key features of the National VET Policy most notably; the strengthening of work based learning experiences for students, the further development of the Vocational Education subjects within the compulsory education sector, the further strengthening of Vocational degree programmes at undergraduate level  and the introduction of degrees at post graduate level (level 7 within the Malta Qualifications Framework), and a continuous focus on quality assurance within the sector by building upon the strong Quality Assurance tools which have already started being implemented. 

Cachia said that the policy proposes a National VET Steering Group which gathers all relevant stakeholders and which would oversee the implementation of the policy, particularly to ensure the continuing relevance of VET to the needs of industry and society.

During the event the NCFHE also presented the findings emanating from the Further and Higher Education Statistics for 2013 and 2014; which were the result of an annual data collection exercise conducted among Further and Higher Education providers in Malta.

The aim of these statistics is to provide up-to-date and comprehensive information on the developments happening within the sector in order to identify trends and put forward adequate recommendations for improvement. It also assists in comparing the local situation with that of other European countries, making sure our standards are kept at par with European levels.