180 students complete the Alternative Learning Programme at MCAST

During a ceremony of the Alternative Learning Programme (ALP) at MCAST Paola, the Minister for Education and Employment Evarist Bartolo praised 180 students who completed their respective courses during the scholastic year 201617. He stressed that the ALP programme was bearing fruit. Students were being given vocational and applied training in various subjects such as engineering, welding, hairdressing, arts and media.

The ALP courses are designed to provide an alternative opportunity for students to enrich their skills and competences in applied learning. By the end of the course, ALP students have the opportunity to enrol in post-secondary institutions such as MCAST and ITS or proceed to the world of employment.

Minister Bartolo stressed that children have different skills and are willing to learn in different ways. He said that instead of counting the number of children who were not fit for school, it was decided to help them in a different way. During this programme, students were trained in different fields and achieved employment awareness and hands-on experience which could not be taught in a classroom. To successfully complement their training, students attended core lessons in subjects such as mathematics and language.

In addition, 26 students acquired valuable and positive ex- periences abroad during their participation in Erasmus+ projects. These Erasmus+ projects complement the needs of our students and are proving to be very beneficial. Erasmus+ projects provide an opportunity for all stakeholders, students, teach- ers, and parents/guardians, to learn and enrich their skills through the sharing of creative ideas and experiences with foreign students, educators and schools.

Minister Bartolo concluded by saying that all the ALP work- shops are constantly being upgraded with new equipment and tools and that they are structurally well-maintained.

What is ALP?

The Alternative Learning Programme is a specialised programme launched in 2013 to offer something different in terms of vocational and applied education, to secondary students. This programme has continued to grow over the years and to expand the areas in which pupils are trained; the number of subjects available has also increased. The ultimate goal is to prepare students for employment with the requisite skills and practices, while laying the groundwork for those who wish to continue studying.