Minister for Education and Employment Owen Bonnici launched the Malta Vocational Education and Training Awards. It will be the first time that these awards are organised in Malta.
The launch of the Malta VET Awards is aligned with the European Vocational Skills Week, organised each year by the European Commission and each Member State. The Malta VET Awards also mirror the VET Excellence Awards which are organised at a European level each year. Maltese awardees can eventually be nominated for the European awards.
Minister Owen Bonnici said: “These awards provide a platform where good practice, innovation and excellence in VET is given a higher profile and improved visibility. Every year, the European Commission and each Member State organize events to celebrate vocational skills, give visibility to VET achievements, and also promote VET in general amongst the general public. This year is a bit different and will be based more on social media and with more emphasis on promotional campaigns rather than traditional gathering events.”
Minister Bonnici remarked that it will be the first time that these awards are organised in Malta. “They,” said Minister Bonnici, “mirror the VET Excellence awards which are organised at a European level each year. Maltese awardees can eventually be nominated for the European awards. I urge all those interested to forward their nominations.”
Three categories and awards for 2020 will be awarded this year. These categories are meant to celebrate the experience of vocational education and training:
– VET/Applied Student Award – This award is intended to identify a student currently following any VET programme of studies, who has excelled during his or her studies. The aim is to highlight, valorise and make visible students with outstanding coursework and performance during the academic year 2019-2020.
– VET/Applied Lecturer/Teacher/Trainer Award – This award is intended to identify a VET teacher/trainer/lecturer who has excelled in improving the VET learning experience or has contributed to innovative approaches to VET learning. The aim of this award is also to recognize the efforts and initiatives taken in teaching VET subjects (in particular in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic).
– Training at Work Award – The aim of this award is to valorise good practices of professional learning within enterprises for their respective employees in 2019. This award includes any type of internal and external, knowledge-based or practical training organized by the employer, including online, on-the-job, blended, classroom-based, etc, including also non-accredited training.
Additional information about each award, the eligiblity and selection criteria can be downloaded from https://education.gov.mt/en/refernet/Pages/VET-Awards.aspx
Nominations are accepted on the official application form, duly signed and sent to mveta.mede@gov.mt.
Deadline for nominations is 20th November 2020.