Students in their 4th year of their Part time Bachelors studies within the area of Work & Human Resources attended a session discussing employee suggestion schemes at Farsons plc plant in Mriehel. On 21 October, the group of students visited the well known FMCG company to learn more about their area of studies on a practical level.
Students Conrad D'Amato and Emma Scerri delivered a presentation on the theme, followed by a discussion moderated by Ms Mariella Galea, Learning & Development and Performance Manager at the Farsons Group of Companies. The students were accompanied by their lecturer, Prof. Godfrey Baldacchino. The study visit was an integral component of the study unit discussing employee involvement and worker participation.
Ms Ilona Captur, one of the students attending the seminar said that Ms Mariella Galea’s presentation on worker participation highlighted the importance of worker involvement and influence within the company as well as their direct management, and demonstrated how employee suggestions increase sense of responsibility, ownership, interest and morale, yet also pointed out the decreasing interest in suggestions from employees, unless motivated by incentives.
“The presentation was honest and informative, thought-provoking. Being on-site helped to bridge the gap between academic classroom learning and practical participation, since the informal learning environment combined with the material presented provided a valuable supplement and a different perspective to my grasp of the points we had discussed during the lectures. I feel that learning was greatly enhanced by this practical experience to consolidate and elucidate the theories and facts tackled during class time.” Ms Captur said.
The 5-year, part-time (evening) Bachelor's degree in Work & Human Resources is offered and run by the University of Malta's Centre for Labour Studies, in association with the Faculty of Economics, Management & Accountancy.
