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Private sector, government join
forces to deliver IT training
by Franco Aloisio
The partnership between the private and public sector, which
the government is actively promoting, is already bearing fruit.
Over the past couple of years, a local consortium specialising
in Information Technology training – Nucleus Training International
Ltd – has teamed up with the government-owned enterprise
Malta IT Training Centres (MITTS) to deliver a variety of training
courses in IT.
In April 2000, a management contract was signed between the
Office of the Prime Minister, MITTS and Nucleus whereby the
latter was given a mandate to run the Swatar Training facilities
– formerly known as the government computer centre –
as a centre of excellence for IT training.
Over the past three years, Nucleus has developed into Malta’s
leading company for IT professional training. Through its partnership
with the world’s leading training organisations, the company
has organised several public courses in IT professional training.
It has also successfully delivered complex and high profile
training contracts for clients who have asked to organise specialised
training events.
More than 700 participants have attended the courses organised
by Nucleus with an average satisfaction performance rating by
participants of 93 per cent.
Among Nucleus’ customers one finds: Computime, Corinthia
Group, Bank of Valletta, ETC, Farsons, Gasan Group, ITS, KPMG,
Magus, Maltacom, Methode, HSBC, MITTS, NTOM, Powerserv, PBS,
Shireburn, SITA, STMicroelectronics, Unipol and Volks Bank.
Nucleus was also awarded a contract to select and train 20 STMicroelectronics
employees from the existing factory workforce. The company is
responsible for the aptitude testing, consultancy and delivery
of a training programme that encompasses basic IT awareness
and moves to the more advanced modules of programming and networking.
The courses offered cover diverse topics such UNIX, PCNT, Networking,
Cobol, DSDM, AS400, AIX, IT Communications and Client Server.
Nucleus has been given the responsibility of running the training
programme for the National Computing Centre (NCC) qualification
on behalf of MITTS. Currently, over 200 students are attending
the NCC diploma programmes many of which lead to a BSc (Hons)
degree in Computing.
The chairman of Nucleus, David Catania, said the IT industry
had for a long time felt the need to address the issue of the
shortage in IT skills that are needed to develop systems, to
operate efficient services and to make good business use of
the technology.
In March 1995, this problem was first addressed at a workshop
between the Information Technology Trade Section (ITTS) of the
Malta Chamber of Commerce and the forerunner of the Management
Systems Unit Ltd (MSU). On the suggestion of the chairman of
the MSU, a workgroup was set up to identify ways to tackle this
problem.
In December 1995, 14 Maltese IT firms together with the Management
Systems Unit Ltd, agreed to set up a joint venture company to
establish a profitable centre of training excellence that would
offer whole-life continuation training in the skills of IT development
and the effective business use of the technology.
Consequently HSBC, Valletta Investment Bank and Knowledgepool,
which is one of the world’s leading IT training companies,
joined in as stakeholders in the company. Knowledgepool is one
of the world’s largest organisations for IT training with
a significant presence in several countries around the world.
Apart from providing Nucleus with a choice of the most professional
subject areas available.
The CEO of Nucleus, Patrick Pullicino, said the initiative taken
by the government and the private sector should provide a firm
base for further successful models between the two sectors
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