A total of 48 people were yesterday issued with certificates after attending a course for building traditional Maltese rubble walls.

In addressing the attendees, Resources and Infrastructure Minister Ninu Zammit said that instruction and training were necessary ingredients for keeping traditional Maltese skills alive, as well as having a capable and prepared workforce.

The importance of the skill to build rubble walls is one the government has always encouraged and is working hard to preserve.

To facilitate matters, the government has introduced financial aid packages whereby kilometers of run down rubble walls in rural zones have been rebuilt. The current courses are organised by the Building Industry Consultative Council.

Mr Zammit said that of particular satisfaction was the fact that not only government employees enrolling in the course, but also private citizens. He said that over the past four years, some 500 people had participated in various courses related to the industry and that as time goes by, more people were applying.

In closure, Mr Zammit said: “Our rural areas have great potential and is a pillar of our environment and this means it should be preserved and embellished.”