The National Commission for Further and Higher Education in collaboration with Ministry for Education and Employment launched two strategic policy documents addressing higher academic education as well as setting a vision for vocational education and training (VET).
The Higher Education Strategy builds on the Further and Higher education Strategy 2020 set by NCHE in 2009 and the Framework for the Education Strategy for Malta 2015-2024.It is based on four priority areas for action:
- Increasing participation and attainment;
- Reducing gender differences;
- Encouraging innovative content and programme design; and
- Increasing employability and entrepreneurship
The strategy seeks to increase the participation of underrepresented groups in higher education to ensure that higher education is inclusive and accessible to all. The relevance of higher education to both the individual and the labour market needs to be further addressed and increased. Another priority of higher education reform is to encourage innovative content and programme design even to make mobility more attractive and relevant.
On the other hand, the national VET policy shows what Malta has achieved in relation to EU developments and policies in the sector. The policy proposes projects 18 key policy proposals.
Setting up of a National VET Steering Group |
VET to respond to Labour Market Needs |
Maximising the Capture and Use of Data |
Increasing Under-Graduate (Lvl 6) VET degrees and introducing Post-Graduate (Lvl 7) VET Research |
Implementing VET as a Parallel stream to Academic Education |
Opening Up and Furthering Support to Private VET Provision |
Identifying Alternatives for Funding VET |
Exposing VET Nationally and Internationally |
Furthering and Building VET Relationships with Foreign Colleges and Institutions |
Assuring Quality in VET |
Fully Implementing a Credit System for VET |
Enhancing Quality Recognised Work-Based Learning |
Implementing Validation of Informal and Non-Formal Learning |
Promoting VET in Terms of Lifelong Learning Opportunities |
Providing More Comprehensive Career Education |
Strengthening Inclusion in the VET Sector |
Revitalising Teacher Training and Development |
Modernising Curricula and Methods of Teaching |
GRTU considers the bridge between education and the world of work as an essential stepping stone to ensure a stronger human resource based to reflect the needs of the economy. Quality-based vocational and higher education empowers Malta’s workforce by enriching the human capital in various fields which local businesses may require. A clear holistic direction is necessary to ensure a coordinated vision between education and the economy.