Abu Dhabi: Vocational skills may not be the top career choice for most students in the UAE, yet careers in such fields actually allow Emiratis to serve their country in much-needed areas, an Emirati contestant in the WorldSkills event in Abu Dhabi observed on Sunday.
Seeing other nursing hopefuls participating at a previous WorldSkills competition also helped strengthen Laila Al Mahri’s resolve to serve the UAE as a nurse, she told Gulf News.
Al Mahri was speaking to Gulf News on the sidelines of WorldSkills Abu Dhabi 2017, the largest international vocational skills competition, which kicked off in the capital. The prestigious competition, known as the Olympics for vocational skills, will see 1,300 participants from 60 countries competing with one another.
The competition is being organised by the Abu Dhabi Centre for Technical and Vocational Education and Training, which regulates vocational learning in the emirate of Abu Dhabi and aims to increase the number of Emiratis who pursue rewarding skills-based careers.
“I had always been passionate about a medical career and was studying nursing when I entered WorldSkills 2015. I emerged as the top participant in the UAE team but, more than that, the competition highlighted just how much we could do for our countries by developing the vocational skills we enjoy,” Al Mahri said.
“Even today, there are too few Emirati nurses, and I know that there is still just a single registered male Emirati nurse. Yet, like many other trades, this is a noble career path, and we need students and parents to understand its full value and prestige. This change in perception about nursing is what I hope to bring about through my efforts,” she added.
A total of 51 skills are being showcased at the competition, including fashion technology, 3D gaming art, hairdressing, cooking, air conditioning and refrigeration and autobody repair. Competitors are given a set of tasks to be completed within a set time, and they are scored based on their performance.
A total of 34 Emirati competitors are participating in 31 skills areas this year, including one competitor in Health and Social Care, the field in which Al Mahri excelled during the 2015 competition.
“I was judged to be the best within the 27-member UAE team at WorldSkills 2015, but more importantly, I was also ranked fifth among 16 competitors in Health and Social Care. My performance helped boost my confidence, and I was able to improve upon my patient communication skills,” Al Mahri said.
At a press conference on Saturday, WorldSkills organisers said the aim of the competition is to showcase vocational skills and highlight their importance towards the development of an economy.
“For every competitor representing their country at WorldSkills, there were dozens of other who vied for the spot, and this helps spread the word that vocational skills provide good career choices for youth,” said David Hoey, chief executive officer of WorldSkills International.
“It truly helps you figure out why you’re doing what you’re doing, and one can learn interesting methods and techniques from other participants too,” Lecluse said.
“I am working to enhance a skill that my family has had for generations, and it is an honour to represent my country in the Abu Dhabi edition of this international competition,” said Stepin, who is participating in the jewellery design category.
“We received such a warm welcome, and it was so wondrous to see a desert landscape for the first time. I am also privileged to compete in fashion technology, a field I am very passionate about,” she said.
