Andre has carved out a successful career in stone restoration, enabling him to buy his first home.
10 years ago, aged 12, Andre represented his school at the King’s Trust International launch event in Malta, and joined our first Achieve programme there. Achieve was to become a highlight of his school life for the next three years.
Andre recalls how the programme helped boost his confidence, teamwork and presentation skills, gave him opportunities to plan and create hands-on projects, and supported him to understand his options and plan for his future.
“Achieve helped me become the man I am today, and gave me the skills to face the ups and downs of life,” he explains.
Now aged 22, Andre is an accomplished stone restorer working on historic buildings from cathedrals to palaces, and has already been able to buy his own home.
A decade of delivery
Ever since its launch in 2015, our Achieve programme in Malta has been delivered by the Ministry for Education, Youth, Sport, Research and Innovation (MEYR) and generously funded by the HSBC Malta Foundation.
While the pilot programme opened in just seven schools, Achieve is now offered in most secondary schools on the island as a weekly club or timetabled lesson. The programme, which allows students to work towards nationally recognised qualifications, has so far reached over 3,400 young people.
Achieve supports young people to develop essential skills, such as teamwork and communication, that will complement their other learning and improve their life chances. The programme is based around practical, topic-based learning in small groups, facilitated by a specially trained teacher. There’s a strong focus on building confidence as well as skills.
Support with next steps
‘The skills we learnt through Achieve were really endless,’ Andre recalls. ‘This programme helped me to continue with my studies since it explored ways which were easier to understand, and it helped me develop hands-on skills which nowadays are part of my everyday life.’
Keen to work with his hands, and more aware of his potential pathways and options, Andre went on to study at college. ‘When I left secondary school, thanks to this programme, I started my studies at MCAST* right away,’ he explains. Andre’s training focused on practical subjects from woodwork to welding, before he eventually specialised in stone restoration and gilding.
Among the most recent cohort of Achieve students, many echo Andre’s sentiments around how Achieve supported their career planning. More than three quarters (78%) report that the programme has helped them develop a clearer idea of what they want to do in the future, while 88% say that it has built their awareness of their strengths and areas for improvement.
*Malta College of Arts, Science and Technology
Citizenship and community
Community projects form a key part of the Achieve programme in Malta. Volunteer opportunities with local care homes, soup kitchens or animal rescue shelters enable students to gain vital real-world experience and skills while also contributing to their local communities.
‘Achieve taught me the importance of being part of a community, and today I am also part of the youth section at our local band club,’ Andre explains.
Keen to support other young people, Andre recently returned to his old school to demonstrate gilding for the current cohort of Achieve students, hoping to inspire the next generation, as he was himself inspired.
Among this year’s Achieve students, more than four in five are keen to get involved in local projects to help other people.