The marking-related union directives at MCAST were dropped on the 28^th June 2024 and MCAST announced that for study units for which students were not assessed due to the marking-related union directives, were to be applied with an Administrative Pass (AP) as provided by European Quality Assurance (EQA) standards.

Following this public statement, the Chamber of Engineers started an information collection exercise to evaluate the impact on the MCAST students reading for a B.Eng.(Hons.) and any risk mitigation measures being employed by MCAST. In principle, the Chamber believes that union directives should not impinge negatively on the engineering education which is imparted to the students or on the regulated profession.

The Chamber of Engineers engaged in a dialogue with representatives of MCAST, the Ministry for Education, Sport, Youth, Research and Innovation and the Inġiniera Board to delve deeper into the implications of the Administrative Pass (AP) and to ensure that the engineering degrees are completed in full to ensure that they meet the academic eligibility requirement for the Inġinier warrant as per the Inġiniera Act Cap.321.

Following a productive meeting with the contributing parties, the Chamber confirmed that APs shall not be applied to the Bachelor of Engineering programmes since the academic calendar allows for the assessment to be complete as per MCAST regulations. Entry to the B.Eng.(Hons.) will continue to follow the normal eligibility criteria as stipulated in the MCAST prospectus and APs can be used for access into these courses only provisionally, requiring students to complete assessments at the first available opportunity. Students may be allowed to start the academic year conditionally and will be expected to meet all the requirements by the end of the academic year 2024/2025.  In view of the requirements of the Inġiniera Act, MCAST B.Eng.(Hons.) students shall be graduating with a full transcript (without APs). This mindful decision safeguards the future of the MCAST engineering students in the profession and the engineering profession itself.

Reference is made to the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) published by MCAST which provide further explanations on the points addressed above and key information for the students concerned.

The Chamber of Engineers understands the sensitive nature of negotiations between the trade union and the employer. As a professional association, the Chamber has the duty to ensure that the regulated profession and prospective engineers do not remain casualties of this process.

The Chamber of Engineers recognizes the efforts of the MCAST, the Ministry and Inġiniera Board to mitigate any risks to the engineering profession and prospective engineers and will continue working with stakeholders, and engaging in dialogue, to safeguard the profession whenever required.