Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/949290
maltatoday SUNDAY 4 MARCH 2018 48 Information Technology The MITA Student Placement Programme (SPP) places students in temporary jobs during the three months of summer. Such placements are spread over 11 weeks, based on 30 hours per week. Last year, the initiative placed over 330 students from over 500 valid applicants, across more than 90 organisations from the pri- vate sector, public service, public sector and NGOs. The SPP is mutually beneficial to both students and employers. While this serves as a meaningful working experience to students, in return they inject creativity and fresh ideas at their work environment. This concept was further reinforced during a press conference held at MITA's Head Office on Friday, 2nd March where the project was officially launched for this year by the Parliamentary Secretary, Silvio Schembri. During his address, Schembri reconfirmed Government's full backing of this programme, and the importance that it has for our youth. His reaffirmation of the importance of SPP is the proof of Government's commit- ment to enable our youth not only with a sound academic background, but also through the nurturing of their confidence to enter the workforce in the future, know- ing that they are fully prepared to meet the challenges of the workplace today. However, this preparedness can only be achieved if together, we are able to build on the academic prowess of our youth, and help them to develop the necessary soft skills such as communication, critical thinking, problem solving and team build- ing which are also a much-needed reality in the working environment of today. Schembri also stated that these skills and others like them cannot be taught in a classroom environment, but are rather adopted through exposure, implementa- tion of best practices in the working envi- ronment and force of habit. During the same press conference MITA's Chairman, Tony Sultana also highlighted that over the past four years MITA has invested over €1.9 million in this project which translates into over 1,300 place- ments, through which MITA together with other employer partners have provided opportunities for today's youth and future workforce, all the while firmly developing a stronger vision of a "Digital Malta". This year, MITA has also moved away from the traditional slots and opened the calls for application for both employers and students simultaneously. Following closure of the application stage, MITA will move on to the second 2018 marks a decade of the MITA Student MITA's Executive Chairman, Tony Sultana highlighted that over the past four years MITA has invested over €1.9 million on this project, which translates into over 1,300 placements Silvio Schembri has reconfirmed Government's full backing of this programme, and the importance that it has for our youth SPP does not only provide the employer with the opportunity for temporary summer student placements but also with the chance to evaluate the students' skills and offer them long-term employment in the future The MITA Student Placement Programme (SPP) places students in temporary jobs during the three months of summer