The Malta College of Arts, Science and Technology,MCAST, has launched for discussion an important proposal to strengthen its organisational structure in a manner which would enable it to develop and strengthen all the different areas of its wide-ranging remit. This proposal has been presented to MCAST staff members as well as to the two unions, MUT and UHM, representing all MCAST staff.  The proposal has now also started being explained during the weekly meetings held with staff members of the different Institutes. Meetings will also be held with student representatives to explain this proposal.

New proposal

MCAST has a wide ranging and unique remit in the post-secondary sector.  Within the Malta Qualifications Framework, MCAST provides level 1 and 2 Foundation programmes for students who may have left formal schooling without any formal qualifications with the aim of helping them to at least achieve a level 3 Vocational qualifications and possibly even more. MCAST also provides level 4 courses to students who may wish to enter employment at the technician level or who may aspire to continue their studies at a higher degree level. Finally, MCAST offers  courses at level 5 and 6 in which students aim to achieve a first degree.

All of these different levels are an important and vital part of MCAST’s mission. In order to strengthen each one of these different levels, it has been felt that MCAST’s structure needs to develop further in order to cater in a better manner for the needs of our students at different levels.

MCAST remains as one organisation

MCAST will remain as one organisation incorporating all these levels and emphasising the possibility of one continuous and strong pathway between the different levels.

One organisation, three colleges

In order to strengthen its focus on the different needs of students at these different levels, MCAST will be introducing three colleges under the MCAST umbrella. These will be:

·         The Foundation college which will cater for students attending programmes at level 1,2 &3

·         The Technical College which will cater for students attending level 4 programmes

·         The Professional College which will cater for students attending level 5 and 6 programmes

All MCAST lecturers will continue working under exactly the same conditions as present, as staff members of the different institutes ,and will continue performing lecturing duties as MCAST lecturers in all programmes falling under the remit of any of the three above mentioned colleges. 

All MCAST administrative and support staff will retain all their present conditions.

Institutes

In order to maximise synergies between different vocational areas, within the context of these changes, the proposal envisages that the institutes will now become six institutes as well as the Gozo Campus  as follows:

—  Institute of Engineering & Transport (Electrical & Electronics, Mechanical, Building and Construction and Maritime)

—  Institute of Business and Commerce

—  Institute of Computer Science

—  Institute for the Creative Arts

—  Institute of Applied Sciences (Applied Science and Agribusiness)

—  Institute of Community Services

—  Gozo Campus

 

Course and programmes

 

All present courses and programmes will continue running without any interruption whatsoever and for next academic year all present programmes and courses will run as planned.