After a consultation process which began in November last year, Education Minister Louis Galea (photo) yesterday announced that the National Qualifications Framework had been compiled and published.

Dr Galea said the framework would create a new system in which all available qualifications in Malta would be categorised into eight tiers that would lead to certification of a person’s life-long learning.

“Malta now has a clear map of the various levels of qualifications that can be obtained in Malta. Employers and employees will now have information on what is needed to qualify at every level. It will also help people transpose what they have learnt into practical work, or to continue to learn,” said Dr Galea.

He said that this new tool would also help Malta’s job market to be more organised and allow easier movement for workers – both in Malta and in Europe. The initiative would give recognition to skills gained outside the formal education sphere.

By putting this into practice, Malta would be one of the first European countries to implement an education system that was actually based on a qualifications framework. The UK, France and Ireland were the only other EU countries to have adopted the system so far.

He said that this latest development was yet another link in the chain of education system reforms. “Qualifications in today’s day and age are very important, especially as the situation evolves every day. Also, the economic development of this country has stimulated the employment sector and created new opportunities,” said Dr Galea.

The minister continued: “We do not want anyone to be left behind. There is a real need for the country to legally recognise the capabilities of its citizens,” he said.

Dr Galea said this new step also meant that Malta had taken another step towards fulfilling the government’s aim of turning the country into a centre of educational excellence. He also referred to the Lm50 million investment in MCAST and developments at the University of Malta.