Minister for Investment, Industry and Information Technology Austin Gatt has inaugurated the ‘Workforce Development Programme’ in partnership with worldwide brand Oracle.

The programme will prepare Malta College of Arts, Science and Technology students for testing certified by Oracle. To deliver these programmes MCAST is being provided with free Oracle software and support, free training for MCAST trainers and heavy discounts on Oracle certification exams.

Minister Gatt encouraged MCAST students to take on this offer for which they would have to pay considerable expense if they had to fund it privately and which will prepare them for a more successful career in the ICT industry.

Minister Gatt reminded that the Government had already secured 2,600 jobs in the ICT industry at SmartCity alone. These jobs are contractually secured and are part of the 10,000 jobs record committed with the Government and its agencies for the five period starting in 2008. Minister Gatt expressed surprise today that the Opposition is undertaking to create 6,000 jobs in the new terms when, if it were to do nothing about it, SmartCity and the Freeport alone are already contractually committed to created even more jobs than that target.

Given the right training a prosperous future for ICT technologists and specialists is secured. If anything the challenge ahead is to provide the several investors moving to Malta with a constant stream of qualified students and workers.

Minister Gatt also pointed out that MCAST already carries other programs as a recognised ‘Oracle Academy’. The difference between the Academy and the WDP is that the latter focuses on the attainment of the certification, that is students will have the OCA certification in hand at the end of the programme, while the Academy prepared the students towards an Oracle certification and required the student to sit for further tuition hours apart from that offered by the Institute.

Minister Gatt referred to the comments made by the Labour Party leader the employment of Maltese in Smart City, where he said that SmartCity should be for Maltese workers and not foreigners. Minister Gatt said that the Labour Party leader seems to be not informed of what the Government has actually achieved in the negotiations. Minister Gatt referred to Clause 12.2 of the actual agreement where it was stipulated that the ‘Company undertakes to use its best endeavours so that where possible and in accordance with prevailing legislation, Maltese citizens shall be employed at the Site.’

Minister Gatt said that he is sure that the Maltese will take up the challenge and his confidence is built on the encouraging response from the Maltese students to the various opportunities that are being given to them through the various training institutions. He said that today there are a total of 2,060 students who are studying courses in ICT. In 2003 this number was 712. He also added that this year, the number of students who started a course in IT was 1,127 (compared to 392 in 2003).

The WDP responds to the need in the ICT labour market for students equipped with vendor-certifications at the time when they leave their academic and vocational education. The Ministry’s strategic alliance with Oracle has provided the benefits of the programme to Higher National Diploma students at MCAST’s ICT institute.

Minister Gatt thanked Oracle for supporting the Ministry’s initiatives and the deployment at MCAST of their WDP at no cost of tuition for our students.