Apprenticeship Agreement Template (Malta)

Chapter 576 and the MCAST partnership

The Work-Based Learning and Apprenticeship Act, Cap. 576, reformed how apprenticeships are structured and monitored in Malta, replacing older, more fragmented arrangements with a single statutory framework for combining classroom learning with a genuine workplace placement. MCAST is the main vocational partner for most apprenticeship pathways, coordinating the academic side while the employer delivers the practical training.

A contract or training agreement records the apprenticeship. In the public-service variant, the agreement is issued by the coordinating institute, filled in and signed by the apprentice, then endorsed by the employing entity and returned for final signature — a sequence this template mirrors for private employers by requiring both parties' signatures before the placement begins rather than treating the paperwork as an afterthought.

Pay is layered, not flat: wage plus two stipends

An apprentice has the right to an income equivalent to the national minimum wage per hour for the hours actually spent at the workplace — this is the wage floor, calculated hourly rather than as a fixed weekly figure, so it tracks the hours genuinely worked on placement rather than the hours nominally enrolled.

On top of that hourly wage, apprentices on a recognised scheme can also be entitled to a Top Up stipend and a Summer Special Stipend, each payable subject to its own terms and conditions set by the coordinating body for the specific scheme. This template treats the two stipends as separate, switchable entitlements rather than folding them into a single number, because eligibility and amount differ by scheme and are not universal to every apprenticeship placement.

Getting this wrong in either direction causes problems: paying only the flat stipend without the hourly wage underpays the apprentice, while assuming every apprentice automatically qualifies for both stipends overstates the employer's commitment on schemes where they do not apply.

Clause-by-clause guide

Parties and coordinating institution

Names the employer, the apprentice and the coordinating institution (typically MCAST or the relevant scheme administrator) that oversees the placement.

Apprenticeship scheme and qualification

Records the specific scheme, the qualification it leads to, and the expected duration of the placement.

Hourly wage at or above the national minimum

The wage floor for hours actually spent at the workplace, expressed hourly rather than as a flat weekly stipend.

Top Up stipend

A switchable clause for the additional stipend some schemes provide, subject to the terms the coordinating institution sets for that scheme.

Summer Special Stipend

A separate switchable clause for the summer-period stipend some schemes provide, kept distinct from the Top Up stipend because eligibility differs.

Workplace duties and supervision

The practical tasks the apprentice performs and who supervises them day to day at the employer's premises.

Hours and attendance at the training institution

The split between workplace hours and time spent at MCAST or the training provider, kept consistent with the scheme's published structure.

Duration and completion

The expected end date and what happens on successful completion of the scheme's qualification.

Termination and early exit

The process if either party wants to end the placement early, including notice to the coordinating institution.

Malta compliance checklist

Cross-check the specific scheme's own terms — the Top Up and Summer stipends are scheme-dependent, not universal.

• Base pay on the Work-Based Learning and Apprenticeship Act

  Chapter 576 of the Laws of Malta, enacted 6 March 2018, is the reforming statute for apprenticeship regulation and the framework this agreement should be drafted against.

  Institute for the Public Services - Apprenticeship Scheme

• Pay at least the national minimum wage per hour worked

  The apprentice's right is to an income equivalent to the national minimum wage per hour for hours actually spent at the workplace, not a discretionary training allowance below that floor.

• Check Top Up stipend eligibility for the specific scheme

  Some schemes provide a Top Up stipend on top of the hourly wage, but eligibility and amount are set by the coordinating institution for that scheme and are not automatic across every apprenticeship.

• Check Summer Special Stipend eligibility separately

  The Summer Special Stipend is a distinct entitlement from the Top Up stipend, again subject to its own terms and conditions rather than assumed to apply universally.

• Coordinate the training agreement with MCAST or the scheme administrator

  MCAST runs the vocational side of most apprenticeship programmes; the training agreement should be signed by the apprentice and endorsed by the employer in sequence with the coordinating institution's process.

  MCAST Apprenticeship Training Agreement

• Do not treat the placement as unpaid work experience

  An apprenticeship under Cap. 576 carries a statutory wage floor; describing the arrangement as unpaid work experience or a training placement without pay does not remove that obligation.

How to complete this apprenticeship agreement

1. Identify the scheme and coordinating institution. Name the apprenticeship scheme, the qualification it leads to and the institution (typically MCAST) coordinating it.
2. Set the hourly wage. Enter the hourly rate, confirming it is at or above the national minimum wage for hours spent at the workplace.
3. Switch on the stipends that apply. Turn on the Top Up stipend and Summer Special Stipend clauses only if the specific scheme provides them, and record the amounts the coordinating institution sets.
4. Record hours and duties. Set the split between workplace hours and time at the training institution, and describe the apprentice's practical duties.
5. Sign in sequence and file with the coordinating institution. Have the apprentice sign first, then the employer endorse, matching the training agreement sequence used by MCAST and similar schemes.

Frequently asked questions

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