MCAST together with the Ministry for Education and Employment launched a new supplemented maintenance grant (stipend) for MCAST apprentices during a press conference held today.

!As part of the drive to bridge vocational education with industry, MCAST in collaboration with the Ministry for Education and Employment, has worked towards improving the quality of apprenticeship training,” they said.

This collaboration has resulted in the provision of an additional maintenance grant for MCAST apprentices placed with a sponsor during the summer months. The Ministry for Education and Employment said that it is investing an additional monthly allowance of €232.94 to each apprentice.

MCAST holds the collaboration with local industries as the pivotal element towards ensuring that the knowledge, skills and competencies within the curricula are appropriate and relevant to the dynamic local economy. “This relationship stimulates the College’s success – the programmes are flexible, relevant and responsive to the aspirations of the students and the needs of industries, which are constantly evolving to meet the challenges of a changing global economy.”

The College has focused on the reform of the Apprenticeship Scheme, in a manner that brings apprenticeship training to the core of the local industry. The reform is rooted upon a collaborative practice between MCAST and local industry which provides apprentices with high-quality underpinning knowledge that is indispensable for the growth of the local industry and economy.

Since its inception in August 2014, the Apprenticeship Reform has achieved a highly positive response from the local industry. The interested industrial entities amount to over 500, offering more than 700 apprenticeship posts which vary across training fields offered by MCAST such as Finance, Business Administration and Marketing, Electronics and Mechanical Engineering, Agriculture, Construction, Applied Science, Hairdressing and Beauty and Sports.

As of the scholastic year 2016, MCAST has also increased the number of vocational pathways offered on apprenticeship to 41, while also increasing the quality of work-based training and learning through the formal accreditation of work-based modules.

MCAST said that it has also striven to increase the exposure of apprentices within the industry through the implementation of a multidisciplinary approach in which companies benefit from an interdisciplinary engagement of apprentices. The success of the improved quality of apprenticeship training would not be achieving these desired outcomes without the close collaboration between MCAST and local major stakeholders which hold impact on education and the economy.

The College is currently receiving applications between 08:30hrs and 12:00hrs on the following dates: Monday 20 July for applicants whose surname starts with the letter A, Tuesday 21 July for applicants whose surname starts with the letter B, Wednesday 22 July for applicants whose surname starts with the letter C, Thursday 23 July for applicants whose surname starts with the letters D, E, F and Friday 24 July for applicants whose surname starts with the letters G, H, I, J, K and L. On Monday 24 July for applicants whose surname starts with the letter M, Tuesday 28 July for applicants whose surname starts with the letters N, O, P, Q, R, S and on Wednesday 29 July for applicants whose surname starts with the letters T, U, V, W, X, Y, Z.

MCAST’s career advisors at the MCAST Main Campus, in Paola, will be available to assist prospective applicants without the need of an appointment during the application dates, between 08:30hrs and 13:30hrs.

For more information about MCAST’s courses and about the application process, contact the College on career.guidance@mcast.edu.mt or 2398 7310/135.

Permalink: MCAST launches additional apprenticeship summer stipend