Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/413175
Events 44 maltatoday, Sunday, 9 november 2014 Enhancing healthcare delivery through ICTs: Project ENTER JPA appointed strategic partner for MIGs Flimkien ghal Ambjent Ahjar's upcoming annual art exhibition New working practices that involve the increased use of modern ICT technologies and its various appli- cations have been driving change in numerous organizations. St. Vin- cent de Paul Residence (SVPR) is no exception. It has embraced this change and placed ICT technology at the centre of its operations to al- low it to effectively deliver its mis- sion. Although the very nature of the work carried out by the large majority of the workers at SVPR is vocational and dependent more on interpersonal skills rather than technological competence, having such digital skills will assist these workers to be more efficient in the overall operational activity of the residence, to the benefit of the or- ganization as a whole. The Malta Communications Au- thority (MCA) is facilitating the delivery of such training by extend- ing the ICT training programme launched in 2013, which aims to provide basic and advanced training to individuals aged 25 years and over and providing all the necessary re- sources including tutors, computers and printed material. The training is being delivered at the Community Technology Learning Centre within the residence, which was specifical- ly setup to provide services for both the residents themselves, as well as the staff members. This centre was fully financed by the MCA. Roderick Marmara, Senior Tech- nical Specialist, MCA Information Society stated that "ICT skills are fundamental for workers outside of the ICT sector itself. Lower wage and lower skilled workers are be- coming increasingly dependent on ICT skills to enhance their employ- ability. The auto repair, retail and health care sectors are just some examples of industries where the incorporation of ICT into everyday operations has raised the bar con- siderably for such workers." The Parliamentary Secretary for Rights of Persons with Disability and Active Ageing, Justyne Caruana said that this initiative is part of the Government's work to train persons employed in the services sector for the elderly. She said that around 500 workers will be benefiting from this training. The Parliamentary Secretary also announced that new medical software will be used in the Residence and therefore, this train- ing opportunity has come at just the right time to ensure that the staff members have the necessary skills to use this software effectively and confidently. In addition, Justyne Caruana made a reference to anoth- er project undertaken in collabora- tion with the MCA, which aims to familiarise elderly individuals at- tending Day Centres across Malta and Gozo with technology and the benefits this can bring them.. The Parliamentary Secretary also men- tioned a number of other projects her Secretariat is implementing, such as setting up of new clinics and the refurbishment of several departments at St. Vincent de Paul Residence, aimed at further enhanc- ing quality of care for the residents. Parliamentary Secretary Josè Her- rera said that a generation built on ICT knowledge may be the key to incentivise economic growth. Hon. Herrera stressed that whilst it is essential to have the availability of products and services reflecting cutting-edge technologies, at the right prices and highest quality, it is critically important that our citizens have the necessary skills to utilise these technologies, not only on a personal level but also at their place of work. There are many who for one reason or another shy away from technology, or do not neces- sarily understand and appreciate the benefits it can offer. The aim of this project is to bring these in- dividuals closer to technology", said Herrera. Malta's leading integrated mar- keting communications agency, JPA has been appointed strate- gic partner of the sixth edition of the Malta iGaming Seminar (MIGs) which will be held be- tween the 11 and 12 November at the Hilton Malta. As the stra- tegic partner, JPA is responsible for all marketing collateral and online marketing strategies for this seminar. Throughout the two day seminar, Blaze, JPA's audio visual arm will also be setting up a customised gaming slot machine showcasing a mix of front end graphics and short video clips which have been produced specifically for the igaming industry. More impor- tantly, the video clips, will fea- ture the company's capabilities in originating and building 3D components consisting mainly of character, environmental and front-end designs with the scope of enhancing the igaming user experience. Speaking about the company's involvement, JPA's managing director Chris Bianco said that "We are proud to be associated with Malta's leading igaming seminar which has now estab- lished itself as an important fea- ture of the calendar of events of the igaming industry. Our par- ticipation in this seminar forms part of our strategy to network and showcase our work with the key players of the gaming indus- try." This year's MIGs will be pro- viding a unique platform of dis- cussion for C-Level executives and staff of the international iG- aming community. The forum will be discussing trends in the gaming industry, debates on the way forward and threats for the Industry, as well as networking opportunities. Over the last five years the seminar has attracted delegates from across the globe, including the America's, Asia, Middle East and Europe. Nostalgia, Flimkien għal Am- bjent Aħjar's annual art exhi- bition, will be inaugurated on Saturday November 15 at the Italian Cultural Institute in Valletta, and will be open to the public from November 17 to 22. Organised in aid of Malta's heritage, Nostalgia will show- case paintings as well as sculp- tures by both Maltese and for- eign artists of international standing, ranging from the 19th century to the present day in- cluding Doranne Alden, Wayne Attwood, Joe Bellia, Lucille Cranwell, Giuseppe Cassar, Pe- ter Day, Mary de Piro, Ronald Gordon, Winston Hassall, Mat- thew Kassar, G. Karlin, Tonio Mallia, Mark G. Muscat, James Proudfoot, Thomas Rathmell, Paul Scerri, Beatriz Caballero, Barrie Temple, James Vella Clark and Anthony Weitz. Most of the works that will be exhibited represent landscapes, seascapes and townscapes which evoke nostalgic feelings of the Maltese islands. Flimkien għal Ambjent Aħjar is a voluntary organization commit- ted to preserving Malta and Gozo's urban and rural heritage as well as the health and quality of life of the people. Exhibition opening times: Mon- day to Thursday: 10:00–13:30 and 14:30–17:00; Saturday: 10:00– 13:00. For more information, please contact: sarafalconi@faa.org.mt The Lotteries and Gaming Authority issues a consultation document for Cloud Solutions The Lotteries and Gaming Authority (LGA), having recognised the inter- est shown by a number of remote gaming operators which have or are considering leveraging the op- portunities offered by the adoption of Cloud Computing Solutions, and the advantages that Cloud Comput- ing provides to licensees, has issued a consultation document that is proposing a sharper focus on long- standing principles with a clearer explanation of why they are impor- tant from a policy and regulatory perspective. "Cloud computing offers great advantages and options to remote gaming operators including better management and allocation of IT resources, flexibility, scalability and cost savings, but we are also aware of the fact that changing from one environment to another presents new challenges which operators and regulators alike are doing their best to address," said LGA's Executive Chairman, Joseph Cuschieri. "It is our intention to release guidelines for the Remote Gaming operators mak- ing use of cloud solutions and these guidelines will serve as a clear sign that the LGA wants to be a prime mover in innovation and policy and is well positioned to react to trends." The LGA has already received submissions on Cloud Solutions for the Remote Gaming Industry from the Malta Remote Gaming Coun- cil Working Group and the Malta Chamber Remote Gaming Business Sections and has taken this into con- sideration in arriving at its position and in compiling the consultation paper. The LGA asks the gambling in- dustry and wider interest groups to engage constructively by visiting the News section on www.lga.org.mt and searching for the consultation docu- ment with any queries or request- sto be sent to cloud.lga@lga.org.mt. Contributions should include the originator, contact information and clear statement on the interest they represent. The consultation period was launched on October 31, 2014 and will end at noon on December 12, 2014.