Towards the making of a new working class : MCAST and the development of a modern apprenticeship scheme

Abstract

The closing of the Malta Shipyards in 2010 meant the loss of many trades. These trades entailed study programmes which have formed a good number of trade workers. During Colonial Malta the Malta Drydocks was a niche of the Admiralty and produced top notch skilled workers who made their living from there. This meant the need for a particular education leading to the opening of the Dockyard Apprenticeship Scheme where sixteen- year-olds who were not inclined for white collar jobs could pursue their studies and find a job. Though the Malta Shipyards has closed its doors, the apprenticeship training remained as one of the main practices in the vocational schooling at MCAST. The study shows how the apprenticeship training evolved along the years. The interviews give a clear picture of how the apprenticeship training worked and how useful it was for them. A comparison with the apprenticeship training running at MCAST today shows the differences between past and present schemes and reveals students’ perspectives on the apprenticeship training programmes.