The Malta College of Arts Science and Technology (MCAST) institute of business and commerce lecturers and students have for the past nine months been taking part in the Comenius 1 School Partnerships.
The first European Business Handbook for Young Entrepreneurs will be published at the end of the project in April 2007 in Holland.
The participating schools hailing from Holland (Roc Friese Poort), Norway (Glemmen Videregaende Skole) and Malta will provide a handbook, available through their school’s websites, that will make it easy for young entrepreneurs to have access to all that there is to know on how to set up a business in such countries.
Other European schools are then expected to take up the challenge and complete this handbook by providing the pertinent details relative to their countries.
Tonio Farrugia and Ivan Cauchi from MCAST and the teachers from the other participating schools attended a project meeting last November in Fredrickstad, Norway. The First Class internet software was deemed most appropriate chosen as the medium to communicate most efficiently to carry out such a project in real time. The necessary controllers were then chosen from among the participating teachers.
Between 25 and 28 April, teachers and students from the participating countries met in Malta. The event was co-hosted by MCAST Institute of Business and Commerce and the Institute of Tourism Studies (ITS). An International Evening was held at ITS for the participants to socialise.
During the meeting students evaluated the handbook and gave presentations about the business culture of their country. The Norway meeting and the meeting in the Netherlands for April 2007 were also discussed. Students had the opportunity to tour a local factory and a four star hotel as well as the facilities at ITS and MCAST Institute of Business and Commerce. ITS guide students took the participants for a walking tour of Mdina and Valletta.
The project is deemed as a very useful tool for young entrepreneurs in a spirit of unity within European diversity.