The second day of Public Service Week 2022 saw the signing of an agreement providing for training of public officers leading to increased knowledge in the field of Artificial Intelligence.
The agreement is a memorandum of understanding between the University of Malta, MCAST, the eSkills Malta Foundation, the Institute for the Public Services, and the Office of the Prime Minister. This agreement covers a three-year period and entered into force upon its signing.
Speaking just before the memorandum of understanding was signed, Principal Permanent Secretary Mario Cutajar said that the Public Service wants to get the most out of what Artificial Intelligence has to offer by applying it where necessary and using it as the basis for the design of hundreds of internal processes and customer services. Training of public officers is therefore very important to achieve the desired result.
Mr Cutajar explained that the University and MCAST will provide training courses at different levels, while the Institute for the Public Services will have scholarships for students wishing to specialise and continue their studies further. Training will be of the highest quality and will be aided by material from overseas, particularly from Helsinki University, through eSkills Malta Foundation.
The agreement also provides for a broad collaboration between the Public Service and educational institutions, including the practical application of standards and collaborations in the national interest such as the use of the Maltese language in Artificial Intelligence.
Following the signing of the memorandum of understanding, a one-day conference was held on the implementation of the new Public Service strategy. Public officers were divided into cohorts to discuss measures related to Artificial Intelligence, Data and Information, and Service Facilitation.
