The Malta College of Arts, Science and Technology (MCAST) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the National Commission Persons with Disability’ (KNPD). This agreement is in line with the College’s mission statement ‘to provide accessible vocational and professional education and training responsive to the needs of the individual and the economy’.

MCAST is continuously working to be an inclusive College that promotes equal opportunities. The signing of this Memorandum of Understanding is a realization of one of the College’s objectives as indicated in the Strategic Plan 2007 – 2009 as it sets out to establish a more formal dialogue in order to ensure the full participation of persons with disability and who are qualified to undertake MCAST programmes of professional and vocational education and training.

Through this collaboration the College and KNPD have agreed to set up a Steering Committee and also a MCAST-KNPD Joint Committee in order to establish an agenda for discussions and actions, with the aim of facilitating the full participation of disabled persons at MCAST.

The College has been working closely with other organizations and stakeholders to promote an equal and fair society that has access to new knowledge and skills. This collaboration follows other agreements that the College has undertaken with other organizations such as the Richmond Foundation. Also earlier on in February MCAST, the KNPD and the UoM teamed up in an international EU funded project entitled “APT-Leonardo – Access to Professional Training for Persons with Disability”. This EU-funded project aimed at making it easier for persons with disability, and other socially disadvantaged groups, to take up University and third level studies.