For the fifth year running, the Malta Tourism Authority, through the Quality and Industry HR Development Unit, organised the Job Exposure Programme where 66 students attending secondary schools spent a week observing different career opportunities at various tourism-related establishments. The programme ran throughout the scholastic year 2013-2014 in coordination with the Directorate for Educational Services.

More than 20 tourism-related establishments participated in this programme during which students were exposed to various jobs within the hotel sector such as those in the front office and food and beverage departments.  This exposure was not only limited to the hotel sector as there was also the opportunity to shadow jobs in other tourism-related establishments such as at heritage sites.  Industry stakeholders view this initiative as an important tool to attract young people towards an industry which offers a myriad of career opportunities. The feedback from the secondary school students has also been extremely positive with a number of students even keeping in touch with the establishments that offered them this opportunity which has sometimes even resulted in the students recruited as workers during the summer period once they reach the age of sixteen.

Even stakeholders from the other side of the coin, that is the educators, agree that such initiatives are important since such experiences often greatly facilitate the students’ career decision-making. Throughout the years they have noticed that students are even more eager to participate in the job exposure programme since this initiative enables them to experience the world of work.

The MTA will once again organise the job exposure programme during the next scholastic year. For further information one may contact Andre Arciola on [email protected]