Abu Dhabi: The UAE’s vocational skills sector is focussed on high-tech expertise, and this is why more and more Emiratis are gravitating towards technical education and entrepreneurship, an education expert said in the capital on Monday.
“There is now an abundance of opportunities in fields like cybersecurity, drone technology, game development and mechatronics, which many of today’s students find exciting. So instead of harbouring a stigma towards vocational skills, a lot of Emirati students are looking to enhance their skills, and pursue technical high-end technical careers,” Ali Al Marzouqi, head of Emirates Skills, told Gulf News.
He was speaking following the opening of the Emirates Skills National Competition, a UAE-wide vocational skills contest for Emirati youth. The competition is organised by the Abu Dhabi Centre for Technical and Vocational Education and Training (Actvet), regulator for technical learning and experience in the emirate.
This year, 423 students are participating across 57 categories, which include carpentry, floristry, cabinetmaking, nursing and drone making.
“We’ve expanded the range of categories this year to include a contests for artificial intelligence, refrigeration and cooling, and public speaking, for instance,” Al Marzouqi said. In addition, special needs individuals enrolled at the Zayed Higher Organisation for Special Needs and Humanitarian Care are pitting their skills in six fields, including mobile robotics, floristry, fashion technology, electrical installations, landscape gardening and carpentry.
The majority of competitors are aged between 17 and 22 years. About 55 per cent of the participants are female, signalling a widespread interest for the trades among the Emirati community.
“Automation has taken over many low-skill industrial tasks, so the vocational skills that are now required are high-end. As a result, fewer parents are hesitant to let their children specialise in technical education,” Al Marzouqi explained.
Winners of the Emirates Skills National Competition will have a chance to participate World Skills 2018, the largest annual international skills contest.
