EXTENDED SKILL TRAINING  ġ S.L.343.25 1
SUBSIDIARY LEGISLATION 343.25
EXTENDED SKILL TRAINING REGULATIONS
1st October, 1997
LEGAL NOTICE 73 of 1998, as amended by Legal Notices 180 of 1999,
5 of 2000, 238 of 2001, and 108 and 274 of 2003.
Citation and 
commencement.
1. (1) The title of these Regulations is the Extended Skill
Training Regulations.
(2) These regulations shall be deemed to have come into force
and shall apply in respect of persons who have entered into an
agreement of apprenticeship in any of the trades set out in the
Schedule as from the scholastic year 1997/1998.
Interpretation.
"Chief Executive" means the chief executive of the Employment
and Training Corporation, and includes any officer of the
Corporation duly authorised by the said Chief Executive to act on
his behalf;
Cap. 343.
"Corporation" means the Employment and Training Corporation
established by article 5 of the Employment and Training Services
Act;
"Director General, Education" means the Director General
responsible for education and includes any officer of the
Department of Education duly authorised by the said Director
General to act on his behalf;
Cap. 252.
"public holidays" means the days declared for the time being to
be public holidays under the National Holidays and other Public
Holidays Act;
Cap. 327.
where one or more trades as approved by the Minister responsible
for education are taught during the day and on a full-time basis;
"training phase" means the period of training spent by an
apprentice in a training centre or at an establishment approved for
the purpose by the Corporation.
Entry 
requirements.
Amended by:
L.N. 238 of 2001.
3. ( a ) An applicant wishing to follow an apprenticeship in
one of the courses listed in items 1, 2 and 3 of the
Schedule should have completed either:
(i) two consecutive school years at a trade school
following the Technology Education Course,
and passed the set assessments/examinations; or
(ii) the fifth year of Secondary Level Education and
passed the set assessments/examinations; or
(iii) four consecutive school year course at a trade
school, and passed with Distinction or Credit the
final examination;
or is in possession of one of the following City and
Guilds Certificates:
2 ġ S.L.343.25 EXTENDED SKILL TRAINING 
(i) General Course in Engineering (not less than
three components);
(ii) Electronic Servicing Part I;
(iii) Electtical Installation Part I.
( b ) An applicant wishing to follow an apprenticeship in
agricultural trades should have completed a two year
basic course at the Danny Cremona School of
Agriculture, Qormi, or the Kelinu Galea School of
Agriculture and Building, Xewkija, Gozo, and passed
the set assessments/examinations.
( c ) An applicant wishing to follow an apprenticeship in
building trades should have completed a two year
basic course at Gerolamo Cassar School of Building,
Floriana, or the Kelinu Galea School of Agriculture
and Building, Xewkija, Gozo, and passed the set
assessments/examinations, or should have completed
the fifth year of Secondary Level Education.
( d ) An applicant wishing to follow an apprenticeship in a
handicraft trade should have completed a two year
basic course at the Salvatore Dimech School of
Craftsman, Mosta, and passed the set assessments/
examinations, or should have completed the fifth year
of Secondary Level Education and is in possession of
S.E.C. in Art or Graphical Communication.
( e ) An applicant wishing to follow an apprenticeship in a
catering and other hospitality trade should either have
completed the fifth year of Secondary Level Education
and is in possession of S E C. in Home Economics, or
have completed a two consecutive year Technology
Education Course (B), and passed the set assessments/
examinations.
( f ) An applicant wishing to follow an apprenticeship in
tailoring should either have completed the fifth year of
Second Level Education and is in possession of S.E.C.
in Needlecraft, or have completed a two consecutive
year Technology Education Course (B), and passed the
set assessments/examinations.
( g ) An applicant wishing to follow an apprenticeship in
hairdressing or printing should have completed the
fifth year of Secondary Level Education, and is in
possession of a good School Leaving Certificate.
( h ) Applications from students who have already followed
an apprenticeship scheme shall not be accepted.
( i ) Applicants may be required to sit for a test and/or an
interview to determine their level of proficiency prior
to being accepted to join the Scheme.
( j ) No person may enter into an agreement of
apprenticeship in any of the callings mentioned in this
Scheme unless he has been exempted by the Director
General, Education from the requirements mentioned
EXTENDED SKILL TRAINING  ġ S.L.343.25 3
in paragraphs ( a ) to ( i ).
Period of 
apprenticeship.
4. (1) The period of apprenticeship shall not be less than two
years and more than four years.
(2) In the case of apprentices wishing to follow an
apprenticeship in the Mechanical, Electrical, Woodworking or
Handicraft trade, they will be required to attend a one year broad-
banded programme.
Undertaking by the 
employer.
5. An employer engaging an apprentice under this scheme
shall undertake to instruct him and grant him facilities to be
instructed in accordance with such schedules of work as the
Director General, Education or the Chief Executive may from time
to time establish in connection with any particular trade.
Apprenticeship 
years.
6. During the apprenticeship all apprentices shall be required
to attend an Educational Establishment approved by the Director
General, Education for the acquisition of theoretical knowledge on
such days or for such periods as the Director General, Education
and the Chief Executive of the Corporation may determine, and the
employer shall release the apprentice for such attendance.
Training in the 
calling.
7. The employer shall provide the apprentice with training in
accordance with the calling for which the apprentice has been
engaged. The Chief Executive of the Corporation or the Director
General, Education may require the employer to furnish reports of
the apprentice’s progress from time to time and may require the
apprentice to be submitted to such tests as may be necessary to
ascertain that he has achieved adequate progress.
Hours of work.
Cap. 452.
8. The hours of work of apprentices shall not exceed the
ordinary hours applicable to the employer’s establishment in
accordance with the provisions of the Employment and Industrial
Relations Act:
Provided that an employer may engage an apprentice on
overtime with the prior approval in writing of the Chief Executive
who may, in granting such approval, impose such conditions as he
may deem fit. The rates of remuneration for overtime work shall be
those specified in the wage regulation order applicable to the
establishment.
Maintenance 
grants and wages.
Substituted by:
L.N. 180 of 1999.
Amended by:
L.N. 5 of 2000;
L.N. 108 of 2003.
9. (1) An apprentice under this Scheme shall be entitled to a
maintenance grant and a wage as follows:
( a ) during the first year of the apprenticeship -
(i) a grant of Lm140 paid on a once-only basis to
cover expenses related to the purchase of
educational equipment,
(ii) a fixed maintenance grant of Lm40 per month
made available during the academic year, and
(iii) a Lm100 per month, outside the academic year
payable to apprentices participating in on-the-
job training with an employer’s establishment,
approved by the Corporation;
( b ) during the second year of the apprenticeship -
(i) apprentices attending full-time at the
4 ġ S.L.343.25 EXTENDED SKILL TRAINING 
educational establishment shall be eligible to
( a )(ii) and (iii) above; while
(ii) apprentices attending part-time at the
educational establishment shall be eligible for
the following -
a maintenance grant of Lm40 per month for
twelve months paid by the Government, and
a wage of Lm1,070 per annum paid by the
employer;
( c ) during the third year of the apprenticeship -
(i) a maintenance grant of Lm40 per month for
twelve months paid by the Government, and
(ii) a wage of Lm1,120 per annum paid by the
employer;
( d ) during the fourth year of the apprenticeship -
a wage of Lm 1,650 per annum paid by the
employer.
(2) The wage payable by the employer shall be paid at regular
intervals according to the practice of the establishment.
Cap. 452.
(3) From the year of the apprenticeship that apprentices
become eligible to initiate their on-the-job training, apprentices
will be entitled to half the annual statutory bonus payable in
accordance with article 23 of the Employment and Industrial
Relations Act. The bonus is payable by the employer.
(4) Regulations 11, 12, 13 and 14 shall apply from the year of
the apprenticeship that the apprentice shall become eligible to
initiate the on-the-job training.
(5) Maintenance grants are paid to apprentices who -
( a ) are Maltese citizens and with at least one parent being
a Maltese citizen,
( b ) have resided in Malta for a period of not less than five
years from the date of commencement of the
apprenticeship.
(6) ( a ) First year apprentices who are eligible to start their on-
the-job training during the second year, shall not be
entitled to the maintenance grant during the period
outside the academic year, unless they attend for
practical training at an establishment approved by the
Corporation.
( b ) The same principle as above applies to those second
year apprentices who are eligible to start their on-the-
job training during their third year of apprenticeship.
(7) Apprentices who absent themselves from the theoretical
tuition at school shall have their maintenance grant deducted
accordingly.
(8) Apprentices who absent themselves from practical training
shall have their wage deducted by their employer accordingly.
EXTENDED SKILL TRAINING  ġ S.L.343.25 5
(9) Apprentices who are required to repeat a year of the
apprenticeship, shall not be entitled to the maintenance grant
during the year that they repeat. However, they will be entitled to
the wage issued by the employer provided they attend for practical
training.
Holidays.
Substituted by:
L.N. 108 of 2003.
10. Apprentices shall be entitled to national holidays with full
pay and to all public holidays with full pay and to such working
days vacation leave calculated as follows:
two days of vacation leave for every twenty days
attendance at the employer’s establishment,
accumulated as on-the-job training;
the employer shall not grant such days of vacation
leave on any day during which the apprentice is
required to attend an educational establishment in
accordance with the provisions of regulation 6.
Sick leave.
Cap. 318.
11. An apprentice shall be entitled to fifteen working days sick
leave on full pay and to a further fifteen working days on half pay
in every calendar year less any sickness benefit to which he may be
entitled under the Social Security Act, so however that a medical
certificate certifying incapacity for work covering the period of
absence is produced to the employer, who may require his medical
practitioner to examine the apprentice.
Bereavement 
leave.
12. An apprentice shall be allowed two days paid leave on the
occasion of the death of any of the following: the wife, husband,
mother, father (or the person who at the time was in fact acting as
mother or father, as the case may be), son, daughter, brother or
sister of the apprentice.
Marriage leave.
on the occasion of their marriage.
Injury leave.
Cap. 318.
14. An apprentice shall be entitled to one year injury leave on
full pay less the full amount of any injury benefit to which the
apprentice may be entitled under the Social Security Act, if he is
injured during the actual discharge of his duties at a work place and
the injury is not due to any contributory negligence or to any
contravention of safety rules laid down by management.
Termination of 
apprenticeship.
15. (1) Apprentices shall follow such study courses and sit for
such examinations as laid down in the course schedule.
(2) Apprentices who fail one of either the annual examinations
or the annual practical tests for two consecutive years shall have
their apprenticeship terminated.
Amended by:
L.N. 274 of 2003.
SCHEDULE
(Regulation 3)
1. Mechanical Engineering and Allied Trades
Mechanical Fitter, Plant Maintenance Fitter, Plumber,
Vehicle Body Repairer (including spray finishing), Motor
Vehicle Mechanic, Motor Vehicle Electrician, Welder/
6 ġ S.L.343.25 EXTENDED SKILL TRAINING 
Burner, Sheetmetal Worker
2. Woodworking Trades
Woodworker (including spray finishing and upholstery) 
3. Electrical Engineering Trades
Electrical Maintenance Fitter, Electrical Installer,
Electronic Servicing Fitter, Power Cable Jointer, Linesman
4. Handicraft
Ceramist, Jeweller, Woodcarver, Stonecarver,
Metalcraftsman, Graphic Designer, Stained Glass
Manufacturer
5. Agricultural Trades
Horticulturist, Stockman
6. Building Trades
Stone Mason, Stone Dresser, Wall Builder, Tile Layer,
Plasterer
7. Printing Trades
Pre-Press Printer, Offset Printer, Letterpress Printer, Print
Finisher
8. Personal Services Trades
Hairdresser
9. Hospitality Trades
Assistant Cook/Kitchen Porter, Assistant Waiter, Room
Attendant, House Porter/Telephone Operator, Assistant
Store Keeper
10. Tailoring Trade
Tailor.
11. Basic Heritage Skills Craftsman
12. Motor Vehicle Mechanic (Marine)
13. Motor Vehicle Mechanic (Electrical)
14. Stained Glass Craftsman
