It is the government’s aim to create the best possible environment to help foster entrepreneurial skills, said parliamentary secretary Edwin Vassallo yesterday.

Mr Vassallo said that in order to achieve this, entrepreneurship must become part of our educational system.

It was for this reason that the Small Enterprise Directorate within Malta Enterprise, together with the Ministry for Investment, Industry and Information Technology, the Ministry of Education, Youth and Employment, the Parliamentary Secretariat for Small Business and the Self Employed have developed a project named Discover Enterprise. The project aims to tackle entrepreneurship education and trigger a cultural change by sponsoring projects within local educational institutions.

Parliamentary Secretary for Small Business and the Self Employed, Edwin Vassallo, was speaking during the presentation of certificates to the schools participating in this project.

Also present for the presentation were Martin Bowerman and Daniel Debono from the Small Enterprise Directorate. Mr Vassallo said: “After the launch of the Discover Enterprise project last March, we are pleased to announce that all the schools that have applied for assistance under the Discover Enterprise project have been granted the requested sponsorship in entrepreneurship education”

The assistance requested from these schools will be used for a number of projects, which are all based on entrepreneurship. The Discover Enterprise assistance being offered to all Maltese education institutions can take different forms, including sponsorships for:

•Entrepreneurship teaching material – (i.e. Books, Posters, Software, videos, etc...)

•Enterprise education related initiatives – (i.e. Competition for the best entrepreneurial project, etc...)

•Networking initiatives with local & foreign schools – (i.e. Exchange of best practice etc...)

•The provision of lectures in entrepreneurship studies – (i.e. Entrepreneurship speeches etc...)

•Visits to local industrial & business institutes – (i.e. Excursion in the Kordin Business Incubator, etc.)

•Rewarding Entrepreneur-ship – (i.e. Sponsoring an entrepreneurship award during prize day. etc…)

•Internships – (i.e. Exchange stays with other schools / industry , etc…)

•Entrepreneurship activity, – (i.e. Organising an entrepreneurship day event, etc…)

The schools that applied for assistance via the Discover Enterprise project will be carrying out a number of initiatives to promote entrepreneurship. These include the acquisition of teaching material; business excursions; the creation of a business room; the development of a skills portfolio; the development of an entrepreneurship science project; and the development of a green house project.

Fifteen schools applied to participate in the project this year, and these schools will be given around Lm12,000. The Discover Enterprise project will also sponsor Lm9,000 to MCAST for the full-time employment of a teacher of entrepreneurship. Mr Vassallo concluded by saying: “The teaching of entrepreneurial skills does not mean that all the students will start their own business. These skills are essential not only in a business environment, but can be applied in all aspects of life. The students will be able to use the skills achieved through education in entrepreneurship in their everyday life. I hope that both the teachers and the students will take advantage of these opportunities and in this way we will start to truly develop an entrepreneurial mentality.”

The Discover Enterprise project is still open, and the Small Enterprise Directorate invites all local education institutions who would like to participate in this project to forward proposals for assistance. Interested Heads of Education are requested to contact Daniel Debono on 25423439 or by email – [email protected] as early as possible in order to discuss any suggestions and inquire about the level of assistance.