Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1041944
21 COMMERCIAL maltatoday | SUNDAY • 21 OCTOBER 2018 DID you know that back in the time of the knights the easi- est way of getting into Valletta was through Porta Marina? This single arch gate was in the time of the British replaced by what we know as the Victoria Gate. At the time, this area of Valletta, better known as the Ta' Liesse area was one of the busiest parts of Valletta. Ships used to berth close by, bringing produce from Italy and Gozo, and the shops which lined Marina Street used to be a hive of activity, with wholesalers supplying the other shops in Valletta. Although still a shadow of its past, today this area is slowly being regenerated. Tucked away from the busy streets of Valletta, the Ta' Liesse area contains an array of baroque buildings, palaz- zos and extensive fortifica- tions built by the Order of the Knights. So if you are interested in Malta's cultural heritage and architecture, why not join us on our monthly educational Sunday Tour. The tour will also focus on interesting as- pects of traditional construc- tion features, practices in historic and current urban heritage planning and ex- amples of different buildings typical of the time when they were built amongst others. The tour is led by profession- als in the field of Heritage Planning and Conservation. If you are interested in booking a place contact us on telephone no. 2290 2021/9942 5222 or send an email on tours@pa.org.mt. Places are on a first come first serve basis. A €3 fee will be charged per participant. The fee will be donated to Malta Autism Centre. The tour will leave from in front of the Phoenicia Hotel in Floriana. The tour starts at 9.00am sharp and will end by 12.30hrs. Dates of the upcoming tour: October 28th 2018 November 18th 2018 December 9th 2018 January 27th 2019 February 24th 2019 March 24th 2019 April 28th 2019 May 19th 2019 VODAFONE Malta has signed a Memorandum of Under- standing with the Ministry for Education and Employment to establish a framework for cooperation to help equip stu- dents in Malta with the knowl- edge and skills needed for a digital future. The European Commission has indicated that there is a lack of digital education and skills to fill thousands of va- cant future-focused, digital jobs. It estimates that around 500,000 digital jobs across the EU will remain unfilled by 2020. Simultaneously, some ad- vances in technology, such as robotics and artificial intelligence, are leading to the automation of many cat- egories of jobs, reducing em- ployment opportunities and altering the nature of work. The MOU establishes mu- tually beneficial activities which aim to develop digi- tal skills amongst Maltese youths and help them access learning and employment opportunities that will help them thrive in the digital economy. Following its successful Code Like a Girl programme earlier this year, where Voda- fone offered girls aged be- tween 14 and 18 free training sessions on coding in a bid to give them a taster of the fun and opportunities which come from studying and pur- suing a career in technology, Vodafone is now committing to training up to 50 teenage girls a year, including girls from vulnerable social back- grounds. Both parties believe that a safer digital environment will result in more motivat- ed students and improved school performance. Voda- fone is therefore committing to holding two workshops to train guidance teachers in digital life skills for parents, which they may then cascade to parents. Through the agreement, Vodafone commits to take on 15 students per year as part of the MCAST Apprentice- ship Scheme, which allows students to gain practical experience whilst pursuing their studies. Some 50% of past apprentices have already been offered employment at Vodafone and discussions with MCAST are ongoing to include a digital module in all apprenticeship programs. Vodafone will also be offer- ing various opportunities for work placements to students undergoing courses in Retail, Commerce, Marketing, En- terprise and Technology in order to offer young people access to workplace expe- riences. These opportuni- ties help expose students to challenging business-critical activities and projects, ena- bling them to gain relevant business experience to sup- port their studies. The company will also work with secondary school students by delivering talks to encourage them to take up STEM subjects and offer guidance on the career pros- pects available to them. Vodafone will be support- ing the Ministry in providing a preparatory service in job readiness for students with autism and help them transi- tion into employment in the IT, Data and Commercial sectors. In collaboration with the eSkills Malta Foundation, Vodafone will be promoting skills required for future-fo- cused digital and technology jobs. "Our commitment towards youths is firmly embedded within our Digital Vodafone strategy to connect Malta for a better future," Vodafone Malta CEO Sonia Hernandez said. "We believe we are well placed to help young people develop their digital skills and access learning and employment opportunities. Our partnership with the Ministry for Education and Employment cements our commitment and opens up further pathways so that we may support young people to succeed in the digital econo- my." Minister Evarist Bartolo stressed the importance of matching skills to jobs, as this was proving to be a major task and the biggest stumbling block to economic growth in Malta. Bartolo stated that previ- ous education systems have given more prominence to gaining qualifications rather than fostering skills. "However, agreements like this are working on bridging the skills gap, and creating better coordination between the labour market and the education system," he said. Vodafone Malta and Education Ministry sign MOU to tackle digital skills gap Discover the architecture and hidden treasures of Valletta's East End