The Malta College of Arts, Science and Technology and M.A. & A. Services Ltd, official seller and distributor of Daikin Products in Malta, will be setting up a state-of-the-art air conditioning training centre for students and workers in the sector.

Mcast principal and CEO Maurice Grech and Marc Henry Migneco, managing director at M.A. & A Service Ltd signed a collaboration agreement at the new Daikin offices in Qormi yesterday afternoon.

The college and the company will be working together to set up an Mcast Daikin Training Centre at Mcast’s main campus in Paola. The company will be providing €50,000 worth of the latest air conditioning equipment that is specifically designed for training purposes.

The new facility – which is expected to be completed in September, before the beginning of the new academic year – will be used by Mcast students at the Institute of Mechanical Engineering and the Institute of Building and Construction Engineering whose studies include training in the design, installation, servicing and repair of heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems.

John Vella, director of the Institute of Building and Construction Engineering, explained that student training covers the whole context in which heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems are installed. The type and size of system depends on the size and layout of a space, whether it is a home or an office, and the number of people that would be living or working in that space, among other things.

The agreement also provides for the development of innovative industrial support and research projects involving the college’s students and the company’s employees, the availability of international Daikin specialists to deliver lectures to Mcast students and staff, study visits at Daikin centres abroad, staff exchange opportunities, and lifelong learning opportunities for workers operating in the sector.

Mr Migneco thanked Mcast for its efforts in this collaboration and explained that the new training centre will include equipment used in the latest air conditioning systems, including energy saving technologies.

Daikin was established in Japan in 1924 and is today known as the leading developer of advanced technologies, including VRVs (Variable Refrigerant Volume), chillers and heating systems.

Mr Migneco said M.A. & A. Services Ltd considers training and research to be a crucial part of its organisation: “This is why we have decided to invest in the new Mcast Daikin Training Centre to provide a unique facility for the training of current and future workers in this sector.”

Prof. Grech said intensive and ongoing collaborations with industry are the cornerstone of the success of more than 15,700 students who completed Mcast courses over the last 10 years.

“This is a win-win solution for our students, and for industry. Mcast involves employers in regular consultation programmes to ensure that its full-time and part-time courses continue to provide students with the relevant skills and qualifications that adequately prepare them for the latest technological and practical developments adopted at different workplaces. This helps students increase their chances of succeeding in their chosen sector.

“At the same time, employers assist Mcast through consultation, the provision of work placement and industrial research opportunities for students, and the sponsorship of sophisticated industrial equipment to be used during lectures. In turn, this provides them with a highly-trained, creative and flexible workforce that can support new investments, increased productivity and improved efficiency.”

For information about Mcast’s full-time and part-time courses visit www.mcast.edu.mt or contact the college’s career advisers on [email protected] or 2398-7135/6.