On Friday, 27 October MCAST and the Malta Employers Association signed an agreement, which will lead both parties to collaborate and work closely together. This agreement was signed during the SME Week 2017 half-day conference entitled Bridging the Gap: Student to business entrepreneur that was held at MCAST Students' House, MCAST Main Campus, Paola.

Through this agreement both parties will collaborate to provide training and work-placement opportunities for students following business-related courses at MCAST and to identify and address gaps between the curricula of courses offered at MCAST and the requirements of industry.

MCAST and MEA will identify opportunities in entrepreneurship for students following business courses at MCAST. Both parties will monitor and discuss possible gaps between course curricula offered to students at MCAST and the knowledge, skills and competences needed by modern day entrepreneurs. MEA will discuss with MCAST's commercial arm, MCAST Gateway to Industry, the possibility for the latter to organise seminars, conferences and courses for the industry.  

Both parties will be nominating a liaison person/s to develop and coordinate specific activities agreed upon to organise the planning of specific educational units and clinical placements.

Dr Silvio De Bono, president of the MCAST Board of Governors expressed his satisfaction at the signing of this MoU with the MEA. "MCAST is forging another relationship to help bridge the critical gap between the requirements of industry and the world of education. This collaboration will strengthen the already existing relationship with the Malta Employers Association for the benefit of our students who will be better equipped for employment as well as industry that will have their requirements satisfied." 

Dolores Sammut Bonnici stated: "The Malta Employers' Association is strongly involved in strengthening its business environment through active social dialogue. We dedicate all our efforts to ensure that we have healthy commercial activity driven by entrepreneurial employers. At the moment MEA is fully committed to address certain business-related issues and is creating useful tools to assist and facilitate better access to information. Together with academic institutions we are always ready to address the gaps between the curricula of courses offered, in this case by MCAST and the requirements of industry. MEA believes that helping young entrepreneurs start their business venture on solid foundation is essential for the progress of our society and so this MOU is another milestone in our mission, in helping potential employers realise their challenging ambitions."

The MoU was signed by Dr De Bono, president MCAST Board of Governors and Sammut Bonnici, president MEA in the presence of Evarist Bartolo, Minister for Education and Employment.