The Malta College of Arts, Science, and Technology (MCAST) welcomed the newly established ‘MCAST Act’, which ensures that the College operates with more autonomy and increased representation by all stakeholders.

MCAST is the first local tertiary educational institution with its legal act independent from the act governing education in Malta. This new law ensures that MCAST can continue growing as a tertiary-level educational institution that provides equal opportunity to all individuals.

Minister for Education, Sport, Youth, Research and Innovation Clifton Grima said, “This new law for the Malta College of Arts, Science, and Technology (MCAST) will help the institution grow and provide more learning opportunities for everyone. It also ensures the delivery of high-quality education at MCAST. The law will give MCAST more autonomy and more responsibilities while providing more resources to develop the skills that our workforce needs today and will be needing in the future.”

The MCAST strategic plan 2022-2027 aims to transform the College into a community college for all. In 2022, MCAST students carried out 55 000 hours of community work, as part of the College’s Community Social Responsibility Programme (CSR).

MCAST Principal and CEO Professor Joachim James Calleja stated, “This new legislation sends an important message – that there’s a place for everyone at MCAST. This will now become evident in the wide representation throughout all MCAST governing bodies. This year, we experienced a highly positive start to our academic year. We witnessed an increase in student applications across all MCAST institutes. We will continue working to ensure our students enjoy a positive learning environment and are provided with the necessary training and skills to learn, grow, and thrive in their future careers.”

Through this new legal act, MCAST will be enlarging the Board of Governors to add more value to the strategic orientation of the College while ensuring that the relations between the institution and industry are strengthened to prioritize all forms of work-based learning. Moreover, the act allows for an improvement in the internal structures of the College, including the definition of titles, the remit, responsibilities, and the composition of internal management structures. Staff and students will be represented on all college governing bodies.

More than 2300 companies currently collaborate with MCAST to provide apprenticeships and work-based training to students. The need for more companies to invest in providing these opportunities to students is continuously growing.

Kunsill Studenti MCAST (KSM) acting President Ms Rohasia Zammit explained, “Students need to make their voice heard. I encourage all students to participate in the upcoming Student Council elections actively. Our views and actions matter not only on issues concerning MCAST but wider concerns about where our society is heading.”

Over the past 23 years 40, 000 students have graduated from College and are today successfully growing in their respective careers within various industries. MCAST remains committed to providing quality education, securing an inclusive environment on campus, and helping all students reach their full potential.

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