MITA's Student Placement Programme will be replicated in the gaming and financial services sectors, Parliamentary Secretary for Financial Services, Digital Economy and Innovation Silvio Schembri said when launching the 11th edition of said Programme.
Schembri said that discussions with the Malta Financial Services Authority and the Malta Gaming Authority are now at an advanced stage, and that the student placement programme for both sectors will soon be launched.
Schembri explained how for the past 11 years MITA's Student Placement Programme has served as a bridge for students to implement their studies in a working environment. "We are aware of circumstances where students' get the necessary results but lack in experience, and this is what the programme has successfully addressed over the years. It is through programmes like these that tomorrow's generation have the opportunity to enhance their existent skills and prepare themselves to enter the future workforce and we intend to extend this to other sectors," said Schembri.
Schembri expressed his dissatisfaction over the low participation of women in the IT Sector. "A 20% rate is unacceptable hence a national effort is necessary to show that this industry isn't just for men, it's for everyone," said Schembri.
He urged all employers from the private sector, public service and NGOs to participate in the programme.
MITA's Executive Chairman Tony Sultana said that in the last five years through this programme, MITA together with its employer partners in all sectors has been able to offer over 1,600 placements which have provided exposure to the ICT and ICT using industry. This in effect, translates to an investment of over €2.6 million through which students have been provided with this positive experience.
Furthermore, over the last ten years, MITA has experienced a consistent growth in the number of participating employers, it was said. "Last year alone, saw an influx of 24 new participating employer partners directly contributing to last year's successful placement of 377 placements (71% of applicants) which is a 12% increase in placements from 2017. This was achieved through the constant support of our employer partners from private industry, public sector and NGOs."