Government has made an investment of around €6.5 million for the further categorization of prescribed and high-priority stipends at the University of Malta and MCAST to meet Malta's human capital needs.
In a statement on Saturday, government said that the implementation of Malta's national economic, environmental, and social strategies and action plans relies on the supply of competencies and skills needed by the workforce.
Human capital development, which is a long-term process, should, as much as possible, align with such strategies and plans if they are to be successful, government said.
To ensure this alignment, the Ministry for Education, through the Student Maintenance Grants Board, will review Malta's key strategies and action plans in this regard and, after consultation with relevant parties, adopt a new framework for the classification of courses offered by the University of Malta and MCAST at different levels of the Malta Qualification Framework.
The framework is based on six axes aimed at: ensuring economic growth in advanced manufacturing sectors and a new economy, high-quality infrastructure, and the environment; meeting social needs; preparing for future jobs; strengthening STEM human capital; supplying industry with high-skilled human capital and addressing immediate shortages of professionals in STEM education.
The connection between the alignment of Malta's strategic and national priorities and the classification of courses as 'prescribed' or 'high-priority' will continue to be strengthened through the establishment of permanent committees by the Student Maintenance Grants Board, both with industry and within the enterprise; as well as entities operating in environmental, sustainable development, and social areas, government said.
This will also include coordination with government entities such as Jobplus, Malta Enterprise, and more, and a three-year strategic review to ensure that the classification of courses as 'prescribed' or 'high-priority' satisfies Malta's strategic and national needs, given changing economic, social, and environmental circumstances.
“Based on this framework, over the next three academic years, more than 46 courses that have been classified as 'prescribed' or 'high-priority' will gradually be elevated. This will constitute an additional direct educational investment in the student of around €6.5 million,” government said.
It continued that it is estimated that in the 2023/2024 academic year, approximately 1,200 students will benefit from this, including new students and those progressing to their second and subsequent years of study.
“The most significant investment we can make is in our country's greatest resource – human resources,” Education Minister Clifton Grima said.
“We are doing this in a concrete way through this review, and it will not only benefit the student but the country as a whole, as we are strengthening the provision of the competencies and skills needed for the economy,” Grima said.
A list of courses that have been categorized as 'prescribed' or 'high-priority' and the academic year in which they will gradually enter can be found on the following website: https://educationservices.gov.mt/en/studentsgrants/Pages/default.aspx