Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1179052
24.10.19 7 NEWS THE Reuben Brothers have acquired a historic property in the centre of Rome and entered into contractual arrange- ments with Corinthia Hotels, the five- star hotel portfolio, to develop, lease and operate it as an ultra-luxury hotel. e property is the former seat of the Central Bank of Italy on Parliament Square. Plans are in hand for the con- version of the 7,500m2 property into a luxury destination, featuring, in addi- tion to guest suites and bedrooms, res- taurants and bars wrapping around a central garden as well as a spa and roof- top amenities. Jamie Reuben, a principal at Reuben Brothers, said: "is acquisition and de- velopment is yet another milestone in establishing our global property foot- print, and furthers our interests in Italy, which include the newly-opened Pala- zzo Experimental in Venice. Our ob- jective here is to create the best luxury hotel in Rome". Simon Naudi, CEO of Corinthia, said: "We are very pleased to have entered into these arrangements as developers and operators, adding yet another flag to our portfolio in one of the most vis- ited cities worldwide. We are also espe- cially proud of having established the foundations for a new partnership with the Reuben Brothers." Design work is commencing with im- mediate effect and works are expected to start in 2020. e Corinthia in Rome is targeting a premium positioning in the city's hotel market, on account of the property's significance, location and investment committed by the parties. e Rome acquisition is the latest addition to the Reuben's existing pipe- line of hotel investments and develop- ments in the UK and Europe, including in Venice, Italy, Verbier, Switzerland, and in London Grosvenor Square May- fair, e "In & Out Club" on Piccadilly, Great Marlborough Street in Soho and the Curtain Hotel and Members' Club in Shoreditch . e hotel follows Corinthia's tradition of restoring 19th century grand hotels across Europe. e award-winning Corinthia London, Corinthia Budapest, formerly the Grand Hotel Royal, and Corinthia Hotel St Petersburg, Russia, are all 19th century landmark proper- ties which have been acquired, rede- veloped and relaunched by Corinthia Hotels. In Brussels, the former Grand Hotel Astoria is being transformed back to its original splendour. Corinthia is also transforming the former Grand Hotel du Boulevard in Bucharest and Corinthia Hotel & Residences Moscow is under development on Tverskaya, Moscow's main avenue. Historic property in Rome to be developed and operated by Corinthia Hotels VOCATIONAL education and training (VET) has changed over the last 20 years. Since its incep- tion, the Malta College of Arts Sci- ence and Technology (MCAST) has provided VET that is relevant, attractive and aligned with industry needs. Indeed, MCAST students are able to take on exciting job ca- reers in several economic fields. Nevertheless, with the presence of digital innovation, disruptive environments, new technology and industry 4.0, MCAST is required to remain an agile organisation that is capable of developing new models in VET. MCAST is aiming to strategical- ly position work-based learning at the heart of all professional and vocational training programmes. Building on the success of work- based learning (WBL) schemes as a guarantee for employment and employability, MCAST is from this academic year introducing ap- prenticeships at degree level (with multiple exit points) in the fields of engineering, information technol- ogy and creative arts. More specifi- cally 152 students will be following six degree apprenticeships this ac- ademic year in the following pro- grammes: • BSc Biomedical Engineering • BSc Construction Engineering • BSc Software Development • BSc Multimedia Software De- velopment • BSc Computer Systems and Networks • BA(Hons) in Fashion is complements other initia- tives that are being deployed at the college such as the European So- cial Fund project titled "Achieving Vocational Excellence through En- hanced Work Based Learning". is project aims to improve the existing quality of WBL through continuous professional develop- ment, mentoring, labour market information analysis, software de- velopment and formulation of a competency framework. In the next decade, apprentice- ships of various flavor and form will continue to emerge as a viable and attractive model for VET. Employ- ers play a fundamental role to play if they want to acquire talent and are encouraged to become MCAST industry partners. MCAST introduces degree apprenticeships in engineering, IT and creative arts