Future Focus, a leading Maltese training provider has been awarded a project under the EU Leonardo programme to send Maltese students for three weeks work placement in Italy. The students will be selected from among those who apply to follow the Diploma course of Cambridge International College which is run locally by Future Focus.

The Diploma is of four months duration at the end of which there will be an exam which will be marked by the UK college. It is of interest to those aspiring to work in tourism and travel agency management and hotel operations.

It covers a number of topics such as management, financial aspects, technical set up of the organisation, marketing, administration and logistics. Any one can apply to follow the programme but those with a good working knowledge of English will be preferred. The idea is to provide career development for those in these very important sectors in Malta.

Future Focus has been very successful in these programmes. Three students of the 150 who received their certificates over the past year, obtained a high distinction grade in the subject; Tourism and Travel; Agency Management.

The work placements will be held in 2004 and 2005 and will be organized by Umbria Training Centre. This is anon profit association established in Italy in 1994. The aim of the centre is to foster innovation, development and change in people and in organizations through the promotion and implementation of studies research, vocational training activities, cultural exchanges and social activities. Umbria Training Centre gained a lot of experience in planning management and evaluating projects in the framework of EU initiatives.

Future Focus chose Umbria Training Centre as their working partner from among 30 potential partners. This choice was based on the fact that Umbria Training Centre s focused on tourism, hospitality industries, catering and gastronomy, rural tourism, local planning and similar areas.

The Leonardo Vocational Training Action Programme aims to promote new practical approaches in vocational training policies. The programme is now in its second phase of the period 2000 to 2006. This second phase seeks to support and supplement actions taken by participating countries, whilst respecting their responsibility for the content and organization of vocational training as well as each country’s cultural and linguistic diversity. Leonardo da Vinci 11 aims to develop a European area of cooperation in the fields of education and vocational training. The programme emphasizes the need for quality, innovation and a European dimension of vocational training systems and practices, through transnational cooperation.