Press Release By The Parliamentary Secretariat For Financial Services And Digital Economy And The Parliamentary Secretariat For European Funds
13th November 2020
About €400,000 invested in a digital application which promotes vocational education and training in Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Mathematics.
Esplora Interactive Science Centre, together with Parliamentary Secretary for European Funds, Stefan Zrinzo Azzopardi and Parliamentary Secretary for Financial Services and Digital Economy Clayton Bartolo have launched a new mobile app and a free Education Resource pack on careers in the fields of Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Mathematics (STEAM).
The RAISE project; a 3-year project with European partners in the field of STEAM was co-funded by the ERASMUS+ Programme of the European Union. The project involved many innovative elements such as the development of the mobile app named: RAISE Careers. This can be accessed freely and used either from school or from the comfort of one’s home. It can also be utilised at science centres and at the University of the applying partner countries through the use of multimedia exhibits or technological devices.
In his opening address, the Executive Chairman of the Malta Council for Science and Technology Dr. Jeffrey Pullicino Orlando highlighted the continued importance of offering high-quality STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Maths) education. This should be done for all students in compulsory schooling and through non-formal learning, given the worrying shortfall in human resources for available STEM – related careers. He added that to help increase students’ interest in STEM occupations, “Esplora is committed to hold its annual National STEM Career Expo for late primary students to showcase local and European STEM careers as well as organising several Family Science Days, which are held throughout every year to encourage families to mingle with STEM professionals.”
The Parliamentary Secretary for European Funds, Stefan Zrinzo Azzopardi stated that this project caters for the changes that we are seeing constantly by training and educating youths to be able to seize the opportunities that the future will bring. Dr Zrinzo Azzopardi said that €408,041 were invested in this project co-financed with European Funds, more specifically the ERASMUS+ programme. The Parliamentary Secretary held that the European Union this week organised VET week, under the theme ‘VET for Green and Digital transitions’ promoting vocational skills so that these persons are prepared for the transition. He concluded by saying that with projects similar to these we are raising awareness, as Malta is preparing its youth and industry by providing the necessary tools to facilitate the transition to a digital economy.
In his address, Parliamentary Secretary for Financial Services and Digital Economy Clayton Bartolo remarked that the R.A.I.S.E project is celebrating Malta’s alliance with our European counterparts, in another step forward to build a knowledge-based economy. In fact, he highlighted that it is truly encouraging having an Erasmus programme that addresses the skills mismatch and changes within this employment sector. In this age of acceleration, Mr. Bartolo stressed the need for politicians and policy-makers to take a step back, look at the bigger picture and fully recognize that in a world that is getting digital every day, bold decisions need to be taken. “We have the responsibility of making sure that should a pandemic or an unexpected economic crisis reach our shores, Malta will be ready to combat these asymmetric shocks. Building a digital economy based on emerging technologies, complemented by a knowledge-based workforce, is the forward. This why the future starts today” stated Parliamentary Secretary Clayton Bartolo.
Despite the fact that numbers of males and females participating in, and excelling at, science are roughly equal throughout primary and secondary school, fewer women enter STEM majors in college, and fewer still graduate with a STEM degree.
In response to this gender gap, apart from the app, the project partners compiled various intellectual outputs, such as the De-Stereotyping Stereotypes Education Resource Pack which is freely available online as an open education resource https://raiseprojecteu.com/resources/.
This project was coordinated by Esplora with the involvement of local and foreign participation, namely the Malta College of Arts, Science and Technology (MCAST), SISSA Medialab,- Italy, Glasgow Science Centre- Scotland, Hiša Eksperimentov,- Slovenia and Luxembourg Science Centre- Luxembourg, received €408,041.
For more information one can visit https://raiseprojecteu.com or Facebook @ErasmusRAISEproject
Stqarrija Mis-Segretarjat Parlamentari Għas-Servizzi Finanzjarji U L-Ekonomija Diġitali U S-Segretarjat Parlamentari Għall-Fondi Ewropej
13 ta’ Novembru 2020
Madwar € 400,000 investiti f’applikazzjoni diġitali li tippromwovi edukazzjoni u taħriġ vokazzjonali fix-Xjenza, Teknoloġija, Inġinerija, Arti u Matematika.
Iċ-Ċentru Interattiv tax-Xjenza Esplora, flimkien mas-Segretarju Parlamentari għall-Fondi Ewropej, Stefan Zrinzo Azzopardi u s-Segretarju Parlamentari għas-Servizzi Finanzjarji u l-Ekonomija Diġitali Clayton Bartolo nedew mobile app ġdida u qafas ta’ programm mingħajr ebda ħlas dwar karrieri fl-oqsma tax-Xjenza, it-Teknoloġija, l-Inġinerija, l-Arti u l-Matematika (STEAM).
R.A.I.S.E huwa proġett ta’ tliet snin ma’ msieħba Ewropej fil-qasam ta’ STEAM, li ġie kofinanzjat mill-Programm ERASMUS+ tal-Unjoni Ewropea. Il-proġett kien jinvolvi bosta elementi innovattivi bħall-iżvilupp ta’ mobile app bl-isem ta’ RAISE Careers. Din tista’ tiġi aċċessata b’xejn mill-iskola jew mill-kumdità tad-dar. L-applikazzjoni tista’ tintuża wkoll f’ċentri tax-xjenza u fl-Università tal-pajjiżi msieħba li japplikaw permezz tal-użu ta’ esebizzjonijiet multimedjali jew apparat teknoloġiku.
Fl-indirizz tal-ftuħ tiegħu, iċ-Ċermen Eżekuttiv tal-Kunsill Malti għax-Xjenza u t-Teknoloġija, Dott. Jeffrey Pullicino Orlando, irrefera għall-isfidi li d-dinja tax-xogħol qed tiffaċċja b’riżultat ta’ nuqqas ta’ ħiliet fil-qasam STEM (ix-Xjenza, it-Teknoloġija, l-Inġinerija, u l-Matematika) u l-irwol kruċjali tal-edukazzjoni f’dan ir-rigward. Saħaq li hemm bżonn ta’ esperjenza edukattiva tal-ogħla livell għall-istudenti fl-iskola obbligatorja u permezz tat-tagħlim mhux formali. Stqarr li: “Esplora qed tkun għodda importanti biex tintlaħaq il-mira li jkun hemm żieda fl-interess u l-għażla tas-suġġetti STEM. Għaldaqstant, kull sena norganizzaw expo nazzjonali tal-karrieri STEM li hi mmirata lejn studenti tal-primarja. B’hekk inkunu qed nesponuhom għall-karrieri STEM fil-qasam lokali u dawk Ewropej. Minbarra dan, kull sena, fl-Esplora nħejju wkoll diversi Family Science Days biex inlaqqgħu familji ma’ professjonisti mill-oqsma STEM.”
Is-Segretarju Parlamentari għall-Fondi Ewropej, Stefan Zrinzo Azzopardi, saħaq li dan il-proġett jaħseb għal bidla kontinwa li qed issir permezz ta’ aktar taħriġ u edukazzjoni għaż-żgħażagħ biex ikunu jistgħu jikbru b’ l-opportunitajiet li l-futur se jġib miegħu. Dr Zrinzo Azzopardi qal li €408,041 ġew investiti f’dan il-proġett ko-finanzjat b’Fondi Ewropej, b’mod speċifiku l-ERASMUS+. Is-Segretarju Parlamentari qal li l-Unjoni Ewropea iddedikat din il-ġimgħa għall-edukazzjoni u taħriġ vokazzjonali (VET) bit-tema ‘VET for Green and Digital transitions’ biex tippromwovi aktar il-ħiliet vokazzjonali u tipprepara n-nies għal din it-tranżizzjoni diġitali. Hu kkonkluda billi qal li permezz ta’ proġetti bħal dawn qed tinħoloq aktar kuxjenza u tgħarif, hekk kif Malta qed tipprepara ż-żgħażagħ u l-industrija billi tipprovdi l-għodda neċċessarja biex tiffaċilita t-tranżizzjoni għall-ekonomija diġitali.
Fl-indirizz tiegħu, is-Segretarju Parlamentari għas-Servizzi Finanzjarji u l-Ekonomija Diġitali Clayton Bartolo rrimarka li l-proġett R.A.I.S.E qed jiċċelebra l-alleanza ta’ Malta ma’ imsieħba Ewropew f’dak li huwa pass ieħor biex pajjiżna jwelled ekonomija bbażata fuq l-għarfien tal-poplu. Huwa enfasizza li inkoraġġanti jkollok programm ta’ Erasmus+ li jindirizza n-nuqqas ta ħiliet f’dan is-settur. F’din l-era ta’ aċċelerazzjoni, is-Sur Bartolo saħaq fuq il-ħtieġa li l-politiċi u dawk li jfassluha jieħdu pass lura, iħarsu fit-tul u jirrikonoxxu bis-sħiħ li f’dinja li qed issir aktar diġitali, jittieħdu deċiżjonijiet kuraġġużi. “Għandna r-responsabbiltà li niżguraw li jekk pandemija jew kriżi ekonomika mhux mistennija, jaslu fuq ix-xtut tagħna, Malta tkun lesta għal dawn ix-xokkijiet asimmetriċi. Il-ħolqien ta’ ekonomija diġitali bbażata fuq teknoloġiji emerġenti, ikkumplimentat minn forza ta’ xogħol ibbażata fuq l-għarfien, hija t-triq ‘l quddiem. Għalhekk il-futur jibda llum. ”iddikjara s-Segretarju Parlamentari Clayton Bartolo.
Minkejja l-fatt li n-numru ta’ irġiel u nisa li jipparteċipaw jew jeċċellaw fix-xjenza huma bejn wieħed u ieħor ugwali fl-iskejjel primarji u sekondarji, inqas nisa qed jidħlu fil-kumpaniji prinċipali STEM u inqas għadhom jiggradwaw bi grad STEM.
Bi tweġiba għal din id-differenza bejn is-sessi, minbarra l-app, l-imsieħba tal-proġett ġabru diversi eżiti intellettwali, bħad-De-Stereotyping Stereotypes Education Resource Pack li huwa disponibbli onlajn bħala riżorsa edukattiva miftuħa https://raiseprojecteu.com/resources/ .
Dan il-proġett kien ikkoordinat minn Esplora bl-involviment ta’ parteċipazzjoni lokali u barranija, jiġifieri l-Kunsill Malti għax-Xjenza u t-Teknoloġija, SISSA Medialab tal-Italja, Glasgow Science tal-Iskozja, Hiša Eksperimentov, tas-Slovenja u ċ-Ċentru Xjentifiku tal-Lussemburgu.
Għal aktar informazzjoni wieħed jista’ jżur https://raiseprojecteu.com jew Facebook @ErasmusRAISEproject.
This article was last updated on: November 18, 2020