The winners of the second edition of the Prince’s Trust International (PTI) Achieve Malta Awards 2022, supported by HSBC Bank Malta, have been announced. The winners were selected from a total of 22 nominations — six for projects, six for educators and ten for students. ‘Preparing for a Healthy Lifestyle Through Ozobot Activities’ by Stella Maris College was named the best project. Yasmin Busuttil from the Maria Regina College Learning Support Centre in Naxxar was named the best educator, and Renchorel Ellul and Kayden Rapinett of the St Ignatius College Secondary School in Ħandaq were named as the best students in the PTI Achieve Awards 2022.

The PTI Achieve Programme was launched in Malta during the 2015/2016 academic year with the support of the HSBC Malta Foundation and has since supported 2,240 students as beneficiaries. Thanks to this support, students have achieved a total of 1,200 qualifications since the launch of the programme, with 300 of them at the MQF 3 level, assisting young people with their post-secondary education at The Malta College of Arts, Science and Technology (MCAST) and the Institute of Tourism Studies (ITS).

Michel Cordina, Executive Director and Head of Business Development at HSBC Bank Malta, said: “HSBC Bank Malta, as well as the HSBC Malta Foundation, has supported education in our country for years by providing and assisting a series of different programmes and initiatives. The PTI Achieve Programme has been a specific initiative focusing on personal development and employability skills to enhance career development and to support students to enter the labour market. The winning projects have been awarded for their innovation, technological progress, teamwork, planning and originality—all essential factors in living a successful personal and professional life.”

Clifton Grima, Minister for Education, said: “I would like to thank everyone involved in the organisation of the PTI Achieve Programme for their hard work, passion and dedication, even in these challenging times for educators and students alike. As the world is rapidly changing, education methodology and teaching techniques must also change swiftly in order to ensure that students can acquire the skills and knowledge that will make them successful adults. The PTI Achieve Programme is an excellent framework for supporting educators and students, and has already done ample to help education progress in this country. We would like to thank the Prince’s Trust International and HSBC Malta for their collaboration.”

Maureen Amoroso, Education Officer of PTI Achieve at the Directorate for Learning and Assessment Programmes at the Ministry for Education Sport, Youth Research and Innovation said: “The PTI Achieve Programme encourages the development of personal, social and employability skills as students work on projects and engage in cross curricular, hands on activity-based learning exercises. Furthermore, the programme sparks renewed engagement in education, empowering student perseverance, resilience, determination and motivation. We would like to thank the Prince’s Trust International and HSBC Malta for this long-lasting collaboration which we look forward to continuing in years to come.”

Will Straw, Chief Executive Officer of Prince’s Trust International, said: “We have been delighted to work with the Ministry for Education and HSBC Bank Malta for so many years to embed the PTI Achieve Programme into a high proportion of schools and centres across Malta. The effectiveness of Achieve is the result of its wide-ranging, flexible and engaging curriculum, which is tailored to the needs, challenges and realities of young people today. Congratulations to all the winners.”