Pictured above: St Clare College Middle and Secondary School Pembroke with the projects Christmas Photo Booth and Food Stand and Cooking Made Simple – The Taste of Comfort a Digital Book , who placed first and second place in the PTI Achieve Malta Awards project Category. Ms Sylvia Caruana, from the same school was also one of the winners from the Educators Category

HSBC Malta Foundation, in partnership with the Ministry of Education, Sports, Youth, Research and Innovation and the Directorate for Learning and Assessment Programs, celebrated the impressive work by students and educators at the third edition of the Prince’s Trust International (PTI) Achieve Malta awards ceremony.

The PTI Achieve Malta Awards recognise the achievements of young students and dedicated educators involved in the Achieve programme. The programme is a personal development and employability skills programme for 11 to 19-year-olds.

The awards ceremony was attended by Minister for Education, Sports, Youth, Research and Innovation Clifton Grima as well as HSBC Malta CEO Geoffrey Fichte.

In a video message to attendees, PTI CEO Will Straw expressed his delight at the results achieved by the programme since it was established. He congratulated all participants while also thanking HSBC and the Ministry for their partnership and dedication to the programme.

Geoffrey Fichte, CEO of HSBC Malta commented, “It is our strong conviction to foster the development of young minds, as they hold the key to our long-term future. We are dedicated to offering them opportunities to excel, and the PTI Achieve Malta Awards embody our unwavering commitment to this cause. We are truly impressed by the dedication of the educators and the outstanding achievements of the students in this program. I extend my sincere congratulations to all the award recipients and look forward to witnessing their further success in the years to come.”

The event celebrated Achieve students and educators, focusing on their notable projects and accomplishments. The Achieve programme emphasizes the development of various skills in students, and through the awards, the exceptional work of one student, two educators, and four projects were specially recognized. A total of 27 nominations for awards were received.

Special mention was given to the innovative initiatives started as part of the Community Project Unit, particularly the valuable contribution of our youth to the Soup Kitchen in Valletta.

The Achieve Student Award 2023 was awarded to Nelly Camilleri from Maria Regina College Secondary School Mosta for her positivity, perseverance, and determination.

Two educators, Ms. Sylvia Caruana and Ms. Clelia Borg, were honoured with the PTI Achieve Educator Award 2023 for their vision, creativity, and dedication. The St Clare College Middle and Secondary School Pembroke won the first and second place awards for the Achieve projects Christmas Photo Booth and Food Stand and Cooking Made Simple – The Taste of Comfort a Digital Book.

In line with HSBC and the Ministry’s drive towards more sustainable practices, a special award recognising the best sustainability-based project was also presented during the event. The award went to Kate and Alexia from San Anton School for their project Helping Migrant Youths.
The project saw the two students collect and re-use various items which were handed out to those most in need of them.

Minister for Education Clifton Grima said, “Watching the programme grow year after year is truly amazing. What started off as a pilot project back in 2015 is now reaching 56 schools and centres. More than 1,000 students have already benefitted from the programme, with more than 300 new young persons enrolling each year. This gives us the energy and motivation to continue working and investing in all our young persons, so all are equipped with the personal development and employability skills needed for a brighter future.”

HSBC Malta Foundation is proud to support and partner with the Achieve program, celebrating its exceptional growth over the years. In fact, the programme has gone from 63 qualifications offered in 2015 to over 1,400 today, including 344 MQF Level 3 qualifications.