The Malta Chamber of Construction Management and leading private higher education institution IDEA Academy have signed a Memorandum of Understanding aimed at promoting the upskilling of construction project managers.

The agreement establishes mutually beneficial activities which aim to address the skills gap and lack of specialised training and education courses within the local construction industry.

Construction project managers are key stakeholders within the industry. Internationally, and for many years, they have been considered important members of the building process, from inception to post-completion review and use.

IDEA Academy will be providing fully accredited courses that are tailor-made for the Chamber's needs and the local built environment.

Other benefits stemming from this agreement include special, discounted prices for Chamber members and the use of IDEA Academy’s premises for seminars and other activities that may be organised by the Chamber. The two parties also commit to collaborate in the organisation of a proposed annual seminar to discuss, explore and, where possible, implement initiatives that benefit the local built environment.

Following the signing of the MOU, Jesmond Chetcuti, President of the Malta Chamber of Construction Management (MCCM), referred to the agreement as ‘’one of the most important milestones achieved”.

“Education, training and further development are, and will always be, one of the pillars on which the Chamber is built and through which it will continue to evolve,” he said. “With this agreement in place, our members will have a clear academic path to follow in their career progression.”

Silvio De Bono, IDEA Group’s Managing Director, said: “IDEA Academy is proud to associate itself with the MCCM, since it understands that in the pursuit of improving the quality of our workforce in the built industry, education is undoubtedly one of the main pillars.”

He further reiterated the Academy’s commitment to offering high-calibre programmes in different fields related to the industry.

Also present for the signing of this agreement were: MCCM Vice-President Karl Azzopardi, MCCM Education and Development Officer Clarabel Versace, IDEA Academy’s Principal and Director of Studies Vince Maione and IDEA Group’s Business Development Manager Kim Dalli.