San Andrea Senior School Computing & Guidance Outing to MITA (Malta Information Technology Agency)
The Grade 11 Computing class had the opportunity to visit the new premises of MITA (Malta Information Technology Agency) at St. Venera. This was part of an outreach program organised by the MITA through the eSkills Alliance and the San Andrea Senior School guidance department to provide the students with the opportunity to see first-hand how a large ICT company operates.
It first began with a presentation by two representatives of MITA. Ms. Grace Mifsud gave a good explanation about MITA’s role in Malta. The Networks Operation Centre within MITA operates on a 24/7 basis for the different needs of the government including health centres, the police stations, local councils, schools and education departments, as well as Maltese Embassies overseas. The Data Centre holds vast amounts of data used by the numerous software applications which the Government utilize to operate such as, those used in the Health, Transport, Customs and Finance Sectors.
MITA employs around 330 people in many different areas. During our visit, we met with some of the technical people such as Technical Service Officers, Service Management Analyst, Network Engineers, Team Leaders and Service Managers. Having a degree or a diploma in ICT is necessary to take up such careers. Having Linux, CISCO or Microsoft certification would also help, but could also be obtained while working. Since Technology is constantly changing MITA supports lifelong learning and encourages its employees to continue studying.
They spoke about certain E-Skills that would help individuals when applying for a job in an ICT Company, such as, problem solving skills, the ability to work in a team, being motivated, having good communication skills (verbal and written) as well as having a positive attitude towards work.
After the presentation the students were taken on a walking tour of the different areas of the company. It must be stressed that security plays an important role in MITA especially in the Data Centre. Security badges have to be worn at all times and the premises are protected as well by CCTV cameras.
During the tour the members of organization stressed the importance of the data, that it is kept valid, accurate and fast to access. There were many different level of security to protect the data integrity such as User accounts, door passes, fire safety doors, UPS (Uninterruptible Power Supply) and air conditioning units to keep the Data Centre secure and up and running at all times .
Students were shown different facilities such as the Service Call Centre and the Networks Operation Centre. Perhaps the most interesting part was the visit to the Data Centre where all the servers are placed. This impressive structure has been awarded the prestigious Uptime Institute Tier III Design Certification.
Well done to MITA and all the students who took apart in this experience.
Mr. Andrew Tockarshewsky Mr. Trevor Templeman
Teacher of Computing/ICT Guidance Councilor