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14 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 27 SEPTEMBER 2020 COMMERCIAL Successful students awarded at Learning Works A number of students enrolled in various accredited courses offered by Learning Works were lately presented with their cer- tificate in a scaled-down gradu- ation ceremony held at this ed- ucational institution's training hub in Qormi. Learning Works is accredited as a Further and Higher Education Institution by the National Commission for Further and Higher Education. Over a hundred students who in the past months successfully completed courses in health- care, advanced healthcare, sport psychology and hospitality, food and beverage and Maltese lan- guage and culture for foreigners were presented with their cer- tificate by the institution's chief executive and principal Char- lo Bonnici. Due to the current situation related to Covid-19 students were split into small groups and staggered over a whole afternoon. Learning Works has been tak- ing all the necessary precautions to safeguard the health and safe- ty of its students, lecturers, and employees since the first cases were registered in Malta. It has been offering most of its courses online and limiting the number of students in class where such sessions are held. Furthermore, all other measures related to sanitizing, wearing of masks and social distancing have been tak- en all along. Learning Works is currently gearing up for a number of cours- es which are about to start in the coming weeks including courses in health care, advanced health- care, disability, mental health, leadership and management, diversity management, sports nutrition and Maltese and Eng- lish for foreigners. These cours- es will be offered either in the classroom or online. For some of the courses which normal- ly attract a substantial number of applicants, Learning Works will also be offering the possibil- ity for students to either follow the lecture in the classroom or online. It has invested in equip- ment to enable this to happen in the most effective way. In the coming months Learn- ing Works will also be offering new courses in dementia care as well as childcare. It will also be offering an innovative pro- gramme aimed at addressing the gender gap that exists at the highest levels of management. Whilst the school was closed between March and June Learn- ing Works embarked on a new project through which a number of facilities were added to the existing ones. Two new lecture rooms, a new common room for students and new administra- tion offices and facilities for staff are now being used. Those interested in applying for one of the courses offered by Learning Works may visit the website www.learningworks. edu.mt or call 79584200 for more details. BANK of Valletta together with The Malta Chamber and Saxo Bank recently co-hosted a 'Blue Sky or Eye of the Storm' webinar, during which market experts de- bated the expected outcomes and chang- es for businesses. The year 2020 has been a challenging era of changes that is expected to re- shape entire business landscapes. Marisa Xuereb, Deputy President of The Malta Chamber stated that despite the threats brought about by COVID-19, businesses can also benefit from many emerging op- portunities. She predicted that the greatest impact will be on labour forces, were employees will be expected to up-skill to match the requirements in a post-COVID environ- ment. Group Head Macroeconomic Analyst, Christopher Dembik, focused on address- ing the idea of a 'New World'. The analyst from Saxo Bank believes that automation, remote working environments and green initiatives are expected to become the common trends amongst upcoming in- dustries. While addressing potential opportuni- ties, Dembik forecasted that due to a 70% reduction in travel and tourism sectors, the lack of liquidity will have an adverse long-term impact on entities and direct implications on the Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Bank of Valletta investment experts elaborated on risks and opportunities for local businesses moving forward during these turbulent moments. Steve Ellul from BOV Asset Manage- ment claimed that businesses have al- ready stopped and re-thought their strat- egies, as leading CEOs are re-engineering their business natures. "Not only are we moving towards dig- italisation, but this is being done hori- zontally across diverse sectors" stated Mr Ellul. He remarked that ESG investment will eventually be sought as a profitable venture and not just as an additional cost. Matthew Farrugia from BOV Wealth Management emphasised how creativity and innovation are crucial for Maltese in- dustries. While liquidity is a problem that busi- nesses are already facing, Farrugia ex- pressed that now may be the time for local businesses to innovate and rejuve- nate their portfolios. He concluded that "while Malta is a small country, this can potentially mean that communication on market changes between business leaders can be faster and more efficient". BOV, Malta Chamber and Saxo Bank debate on the future of businesses