Vocational education

In most countries there are two kinds of education. The first teaches one how to live and the other how to earn a living. The first is general education for all individuals and the second is technical or vocational education for those who wish to learn various practical occupations.

Vocational education means learning and training in professions such as carpentry, engineering, electronics and masonry etc. The changing face of technology requires an individual to be specialised in a particular skill.

Only a person who is an expert in a particular field can get a good job. Here comes the importance of vocational education that is imparted by specialised educational and training institutions, whose mission is to prepare individuals and help them become independent at a particular age.

Advantages

First: It provides practical solutions for unemployment. It trains the students in commercial, scientific and industrial trades, according to their interest.

Second: It can help students become independent while studying. They may get a part-time job and also continue their higher studies.

Third: Vocational education teaches students lessons of manual work.

Fourth: It is helpful to the economy by enabling nations to utilise their native human resources to do the required work.
Fifth: Vocational education creates a pool of qualified people to contribute significantly to economic development.
Finally, vocational education enables countries to compete in an era of globalisation and knowledge based on increasing personal and work-related skills.

The courses

Vocational education and training can be provided for a number of courses like health, technical, art, education, media, information technology, administration and other courses. These subjects can be further classified into specialised courses.

Vocational education and training institutes impart graduation and post graduation courses to students. Working people can join the course, and even select the timings as per their convenience and nature of the job.

Many vocational institutes in developed countries allow the students to study online and attend either evening or morning classes. The faculty of these vocational education training institutes is highly experienced. As a result the students are able to have a real life and practical industry experience. Students are also provided with internships. The course structure of the training institute is regularly updated.

Vocational education in the UAE

Since 1971, the UAE and the nation have been focusing on creating all means of education to its people. The major educational sectors that have been the focus of the government were general and higher education in addition to simple establishments that provided commercial, agricultural and industrial education from grade nine to grade 12. These schools did not succeed because of many reasons including budget obstacles. However, in 1988,when the Higher Colleges of Technology were established, the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research presented a new approach to vocational education and training.

The HCT is dedicated to the delivery of technical and professional programmes of the highest quality to the students, within the context of sincere respect for all beliefs and values. Graduates of the colleges will have the linguistic ability to function effectively in an international environment; the technical skills to operate in an increasingly complex technological world; the intellectual capacity to adapt to constant change; and the leadership potential to make the maximum contribution to the development of the community for the good of its entire people (HCT website).

Progress

As a result of the success of the HCT in teaching and equipping its students with the appropriate skills required by the local labour market; the number of students who were eligible to study at the HCT has been increasing for the last ten years. For example, in 1996, there were 2,568 students eligible to study at the HCT while in 2001 and 2007 the eligible students were 5,229 and 9,484 respectively.

About three years ago another important vocational institution was established to replace the vocational schools of the Ministry of Education. This is the Institute of Applied Technology (I AT) which accepts local students who have completed grade nine. The IAT, through its advanced establishments in Abu Dhabi, Al Ain and other Northern Emirates, aims at teaching, training and equipping our young generations with the most advanced knowledge and skills required by the labour market. In addition to the IAT, Abu Dhabi government has established early this year the Abu Dhabi Vocational Education and Training Institute.

This Institute accepts students who complete high school level where they will have an intensive academic programme for two years followed by on year working at selective industries. Students then will receive a vocational diploma accredited by the Australian famous institution TAFE in tourism, hospitality, properties management, small business management and other courses.

How to develop vocational education

The new development in vocational education reflects the strategic vision of UAE decision makers who lead the nation into a new era of knowledge-based economy. Supporting the general education with a variety of vocational education establishments will improve the vocational capabilities of our human resources; equip the youth with advanced professional skills and enhance the outcomes of the educational system in general.

What might be required in order to maintain the quality in vocational education is to create a higher council for vocational education which would supervise and coordinate all projects in that field. This would contribute significantly to the appropriate implementation of the strategic plans of developing vocational education and, also, would lead the policies and efforts of both federal and local specialised establishments toward the ultimate national goal: to create a well-prepared generation of UAE youth who could both deal with the changes and requirements of the labor market and participate in the development plans of the nation.

— The writer is a UAE-based academic and thinker