Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/478858
Events 27 maltatoday, Sunday, 15 March 2015 HSBC Contact Centre opens the door for MCAST students HSBC UK Contact Centre Malta (HBEU), the largest contact centre on the island, will begin bridging the gap between education and in- dustry by welcoming students from the Malta College of Arts, Science & Technology (MCAST) on an ap- prenticeship basis until 2016. The group of 10 selected students will immerse themselves in the ex- citement of a best-in-class work environment and learn the trade in blocks of weeks ranging in duration from three to 16 weeks. The appren- ticeship begins on 22 June 2015. The participating students are enrolled in Advanced Diploma in Financial Service from MCAST's Institute of Business and Commerce. HBEU HR and Recruitment Man- ager Fabianne Galea said: "HBEU is determined to build a superior workforce that can contribute to the 21st century Maltese economy. We invest heavily in our human capital by providing recruits with profes- sional training programmes and en- abling them to further their career opportunities in the global contact centre industry." At the end of the apprenticeship programme, qualified students are likely to receive full-time em- ployment offers at HBEU, which is known for its informal yet sup- portive workplace atmosphere. The various support services for staff at HBEU include a concierge service, in-house gym, childcare subsidies, onsite medical health checks, and private healthcare, among other. Established at Swatar in 2006 with a target of 250 employees, the supe- rior customer services delivered by the Centre have - over the last eight years - resulted in developing the Centre which now employs 430 em- ployees assisting UK account hold- ing customers. Apart from having a good com- mand of English and IT skills, there are no other specific qualifications for the role. More information about opportunities at HSBC UK Contact Centre can be had at www.hsbc. com.mt/careers. An age neutral CV can be forwarded to malta.recruit- ment@hsbc.com. Emirates is making it even more attractive for travellers from Malta to take advantage of Business Class and Economy Class special fares to 72 select destinations across the Far East, Africa, Australia, New Zea- land, the Indian Ocean, the Middle East, and North and South Ameri- ca. Emirates is offering discounted fares of up to 30 percent on stand- ard Business Class and Economy Class fares. The sale offer is valid until Thursday 19 March 2015 for outbound travel from 6 April to 30 June 2015. The destinations and fares on offer can be viewed on www.emirates.com/mt Terms and conditions apply. The long-haul destinations al- low travellers to stopover in Dubai. Bookings for Dubai Stopovers can be made up to 48 hours prior to departure from Malta, but it is ad- visable to book well in advance to ensure availability at the preferred hotel. Emirates flies to 148 destinations in 83 countries. Emirates' award- winning service, daily flights and convenient times from Malta to Du- bai via Cyprus means connecting to long-haul destinations has never been easier and more enjoyable. Its young, all wide-body aircraft fleet offers the latest on-board comforts including food prepared by gourmet chefs, and over 2,000 channels of entertainment on its award-win- ning ice system. In addition, Economy Class trav- ellers enjoy generous baggage al- lowances of 30 kilos and 40 kilos in Business Class. These latest fares on offer can be purchased either online: www.emir- ates.com/mt, respective travel agen- cies or directly from the Emirates Sales Office at MIA (Departures Lounge) tel 2557 7255. On March 17, the world will turn green as over 70 million peo- ple around the world celebrate St Patrick's Day, the celebration of one of the patron saints of Ireland from Dublin to Dubai, London to Lima, Peru to Paris, Sydney to Stockholm, Moscow to Montserrat, and, of course, Malta. Celebrations of St Patrick's Day range from parades (with two such parades planned for the 15th March in Valletta and Floriana), to the 'greening' of iconic landmarks and sights. As the world prepares to mark St Patrick's 2015 with GUINNESS at the heart of the celebrations, here are some interesting facts: Did you know? St Patrick's name wasn't Patrick. His real name was actually Maewyn Succat. For many years, blue was the col- our most often associated with St Patrick. Green was considered un- lucky. St Patrick's blue was consid- ered symbolic of Ireland for many centuries and the Irish Presidential Standard is still blue. St Patrick's Day isn't just a national holiday in Ireland. It's also a national holiday on the island of Montserrat in the Caribbean, a tiny island with around 4,000 inhabitants, which became home to a large number of Irish emigrants in the 17th century. St Patrick's Day has been celebrated in space – twice. In 2011, the Inter- national Space Station hosted a St Paddy's Day celebration with Irish- American astronaut Catherine Coleman playing a hundred-year- old flute and a tin whistle while floating weightlessly in space. In 2013, astronaut Chris Hadfield cel- ebrated St Patrick's Day by photo- graphing Ireland from space while singing Danny Boy. The first parade held to honour St. Patrick's Day took place not in Ire- land but in the United States. Today, parades take place throughout the world in celebration of the patron saint of Ireland from Munich in Germany, London, Manchester, Bir- mingham and Belfast in the UK to Buenos Aires in Argentina, Tokyo in Japan, Sydney in Australia, as well as our very own Valletta in Malta. Top GUINNESS Facts Over 13 million pints of GUINNESS are enjoyed around the world on St Patrick's Day. GUINNESS has 8,744 years left on the lease of St James Gate Brewery in Ireland, at the current production rate, that is enough to brew over 9 trillion pints On average, one Irish pub a day opens around the world GUINNESS is brewed in 50 coun- tries, including at St. James's Gate, Dublin. St James's Gate Brewery brews 4.5 million hectolitres of GUINNESS every year. Make sure you enjoy an authenti- cally Irish celebration this year with GUINNESS and this helpful guide to Irish phrases that will get you through the celebrations this St. Patrick's Day. Pionta GUINNESS, le do thoil. (Py- un-tah GUINNESS, leh duh huh-il): A pint of GUINNESS, please. Lá Fhéile Pádraig Sona Duit! (Law Ale-yeh Pawd-rig Sunna Ditch): Happy St. Patrick's Day! (singular) Ádh na nÉireannach (Awe nah Nay- ron-okh): Luck of the Irish Sláinte! (Sloyn-cheh): Cheers! Go raibh maith agat. (Guh rev mah a-gut): Thank you. Tá fáilte romhat. (Taw foyle-cheh roh-ot): You're welcome. Guinness is imported, marketed and distributed in Malta by Farsons Beverage Imports Company Limit- ed, a member of the Farsons Group. GSD Marketing supports Maratona bir-Roti GSD Marketing Ltd will be support- ing the 16th edition of Maratona bir- Roti. The funds raised this year will continue on the efforts started last year to supply every government, Church and independent school with Automated External Defibril- lators (AED), five trained teachers to operate the machines and first- aid knowledge to all children. Some €131,000 have already been raised towards this aim last year. The 50-hour marathon, Minn Qalbna Għal Qalbkom, kicks off on Friday 13 March at 12.30 pm. Some 100 cyclists leave from Castille in Valletta to San Ġorġ Preca College, Boys' Lyceum, in Ħamrun, where the event, open for the public, will run day and night until Sunday, with entertainment, exhibitions, and food and drink. The highlight performance will be by the Big Band Brothers on Saturday. "We are honoured to support such an event which not only promotes a healthy lifestyle through physical activity and entertainment, but also raises money to equip schools with life-saving equipment," said GSD's Sales and Marketing Manager Mar- tin Agius. Participants who will take part in the marathon include teachers, stu- dents and parents at the secondary school, as well as former lyceum stu- dents and all the primary and sec- ondary schools of the San Ġorġ Pre- ca College, Maltese personalities, other students and sports, cultural and philanthropic organisations. The age of the cyclists varies from three years to a 70-year-old man who is an ex-lyceum student. The public can also make a do- nation by sending an SMS on 5061 7383. Maratona bir-Roti is a non-gov- ernmental organisation which has been organising the annual event since 1994 (with a gap between 1998 and 2003) in aid of various causes and organisations. Since its incep- tion, the organisation raised over €583,000. Maratona bir-Roti was recognised with the Premju Mons. Azzopardi 2009 and the Health and Safety Ed- ucation Best Practice Award 2013- 2014. Don't miss the moment... says Emirates Join the crowd this St Patrick's Day with Guinness There's no denying that schooling, education and general knowledge are all very important aspects for a successful future. But equally im- portant is the acquisition of person- al and social etiquette skills early in life, both from a personal and career perspective. Lasting impressions are formed in the first few seconds of meeting someone, hence the im- portance of knowing how to carry ourselves, dress and act in whatever social or professional situation we find ourselves in. With these objectives in mind, Ramona Galea and Elaine Fenech are introducing the first Etiquette Masterclass Training Programme for Teenagers in Malta. Ramona and Elaine, founders of First Class Etiquette and Etiquette First re- spectively, are both successful eti- quette consultants and trainers, and together they have devised a social etiquette training programme spe- cifically aimed at teenagers. Spread over two full days, the programme will delve into various topics that highlight the importance of every- day behaviour skills in the civilised world. These include common courte- sies such as introducing family and friends, how to walk and greet oth- ers, posture, poise, deportment, sitting and standing. "We will also guide course participants on how to dress and groom themselves, how to master table manners and com- munication skills such as the use of hands, tone of voice and how to con- duct a conversation". Net etiquette, the where and how of using tablets and mobile phones will also be dis- cussed. The training programme includes all the elements one would learn in a finishing school. It is intended for teenagers who want to stand out from the crowd, both now and in their future endeavours. They will learn about European etiquette dur- ing interactive and practical train- ing sessions that will include an ac- tual lunch etiquette tutorial where participants will sit at table and go through the process of formal din- ing, among other activities. Apart from both being accredited etiquette trainers and consultants by the International Etiquette and Protocol Academy of London, both Elaine and Ramona enjoy successful corporate careers. They stress that, "whilst our education system has been successful in preparing us for exams, the practical side of social and business life has often been giv- en much less importance. Students are left on their own when it comes to learn the crucial life skills that ensure a successful future". The benefits of this Masterclass in Social Etiquette are endless. Man- ners, grooming, dress codes and how to become a leader without being overpowering, learnt early in life, will shape how people are per- ceived for a lifetime. The training programme will be conveniently held during the Easter holidays, be- tween the 9 and 10 April 2015. For more information, please call on 7979 0108, 7924 2479 or send an e-mail on etiquettemasterclass@ gmail.com. Invest in your children's future these Easter holidays