On Monday 22nd January and Tuesday 23rd January 2024, the teachers and students of Year 9 and 10 Business Studies, attended an educational visit to General Soft Drinks Co Ltd, Marsa. The purpose of this visit was to give the students the opportunity to see large, modern automated production processes in a local manufacturing company that not only produces the popular Coca-Cola but also other drinks namely Kristal water, Fanta, etc. Students could also see how the plastic bottles are formed and filled, and consequently, they could see stocks of finished drinks being moved and stored in a large warehouse. The students received a lot of information from one of the company’s hosts, who was very willing to answer all of the students’ questions about how Coca-Cola started doing business in Malta and how a company like GSD Ltd., as a franchisee, honours a franchise agreement with Coca-Cola as the franchisor. Discussions focused on the importance for a franchisee to follow strategies set by the Coca-Cola company, to obtain the necessary approvals before implementing any strategies created by GSD Ltd for the local market, and for GSD Ltd to always be prepared to implement more modern technologies as instructed by Coca-Cola. The students were also given the opportunity to take notes to enable them to prepare a report in writing, which would represent one of the modes of assessment for Year 9 and Year 10 students, as indicated by the department. It was noted that some students showed a lot of interest in this outing and prepared themselves by checking the company’s website beforehand. Everybody appreciated and enjoyed this experience, especially the students who came prepared. They were the ones who seemed to have enjoyed the experience most and who asked the most interesting questions while we were on site.
Ms. Caroline Sammut and Mr. Christian Mercieca
Business Studies Teachers