“Training is an essential part of providing a better service. In 2013, when we assessed the Public Service and drew up a vision of what we wanted it to become, we saw that an essential part of the vacuum between them had to be filled through training.”
This was stated by Principal Permanent Secretary Mario Cutajar, when visiting the Institute for the Public Services as part of Public Service Week 2020. During this visit, the Institute’s new academic year was launched, while virtual recognition was given to 516 students who, in normal circumstances, would have graduated today. A new library was also inaugurated at the same Institute.
Mr Cutajar said that the Public Service has both external and internal clients, the latter being public officers, in whom the Public Service must invest as much as it invests in the service itself. One way of investing in public officers is through the Institute for the Public Services, which offers them learning and training opportunities.
The Principal Permanent Secretary said that the Institute for the Public Services, though still in its early years, is another success story. He recalled how the Institute was set up in 2016, through a strategic partnership with the University of Malta and MCAST, and since its inception it has played an important role in realising the Public Service’s vision to deliver a service of excellence.
The strategic partnership with the University and MCAST must be translated into courses that cater for the Public Service’s needs, while further expanding training schemes for students within the Public Service so that students can combine the experience gained from the Public Service with their academic studies, said Mr Cutajar.
Referring to the Institute’s new and completely electronic prospectus, Mr Cutajar said that students can now view the full range of courses and choose according to what they need for the next step in their career. This means that the Institute’s role in the student’s development is both academic and personal, because people carry the knowledge they acquire wherever they go.
Mr Cutajar said that the Institute caters for all public officers, from the highest scales to those in technical and industrial grades. The courses for the latter grades are tailored to their needs, with the aim of improving their skills, preparing them for higher posts and, as far as possible, helping them to gain recognition of their experience.
In just a few years, the Institute for the Public Services has trained thousands of public officers in some 400 courses and has so far led to the graduation of 1,160 officers. Another 516 graduated today in several subjects, including Management Toolkit, Public Procurement and Customer Care. In the past academic year alone, 6,189 students were trained in 366 different courses. Some courses were delivered online, demonstrating the Public Service’s flexibility and ability to adapt quickly to changing circumstances due to Covid-19.
The Institute for the Public Services is a perfect example of how anyone who really wants to make a difference in people’s lives should build a career in the Public Service, concluded Mr Cutajar.
In his speech, University Rector Professor Alfred Vella said that the Institute for the Public Services is a project that has worked well, and the University is happy to continue with this collaboration. He mentioned courses that are being specifically designed for the needs of the Public Service, including those leading to a BA and an MBA.
For his part, MCAST Principal Professor Joachim James Calleja said that since the Institute for the Public Services was set up, major developments have taken place and there is a keen interest by public officers in the courses on offer. He added that investing in people is fundamental, because technology alone does not lead to efficiency.
