Abu Dhabi: Armed with enthusiasm and technical knowledge, 1,300 students from 60 countries will this week compete against one another in the world’s largest skills competition, WorldSkills, which starts in the capital on Sunday.
At a press conference held ahead of the start of the competition, officials on Saturday said the aim is to encourage vocational and technical education as the first choice of careers among youth.
“Over the last two generations, we’ve seen widespread focus on university education. Many parents and teachers therefore harbour the belief that academic education provides the only means to a successful career. But things are changing now, and people are beginning to realise once again that skills can open up valuable career paths to youth,” said Simon Bartlett, president of WorldSkills International.
WorldSkills Abu Dhabi 2017, the 44th edition of the international contest, will therefore not only include 51 skills competitions, but it will also showcase these skills to 110,000 visitors, including 80,000 schoolchildren from across the UAE. A two-day youth forum will also engage 300 students and young professionals, and it will be followed by a two-day conference that will see industry leaders and government officials shed light on skill mismatches and needs.
The event is being held under the patronage of His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Abu Dhabi Crown Prince and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces.
“We need technical workers to innovate, and their skills are especially important in today’s digital economy. For example, technical workers can build and enhance the smartphones that we all carry today. There are also skills that have never died, like carpentry, for example, and we now require workers who can keep up with the changing technologies in these fields,” Mubarak Al Shamsi, director-general of the Abu Dhabi Centre for Technical and Vocational Education and Training (Actvet), told Gulf News. The Actvet regulates technical education in the emirate of Abu Dhabi, and has been tasked with organising WorldSkills Abu Dhabi.
The UAE team at WorldSkills 2017, therefore, comprises 34 competitors participating in 31 skills areas, up from the 27 competitors who participated in WorldSkills 2015 in Sao Paolo.
“We have seen growing interest in vocational education, and this is especially evident at the annual Emirates Skills national contests,” said Ali Al Marzouqi, chief executive officer of WorldSkills Abu Dhabi 2017.
Interestingly, the team of participants from the UAE also includes a female Emirati graduate who will demonstrate her skills and talent in air-conditioning and refrigeration. A male Emirati contestant will compete in floristry.
Emirati participants have already brought home medals in the past, including a silver for skills in health and social care in 2007, and others in IT software solutions and graphic design.
Al Marzouqi earlier told Gulf News that Emirati WorldSkills participants have also gone on to become entrepreneurs in their own right. For instance, Mohammad Al Shamsi, a contestant in World Skills 2007, went on to establish the Emirates Robotics Club, as well as his own robotics company, RoboHiTec.
A glittering opening ceremony to welcome participating teams will be held in the capital on Saturday evening. The competitions will then begin on Sunday, and continue until Wednesday (October 18).
BOX
WorldSkills Abu Dhabi 2017
1,300 competitors from 60 countries
110,000 expected visitors
51 skills categories
October 15-18, 2017
105, square metres of competition space at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre
Skills categories: Polymechanics and automation, information network cabling, manufacturing team challenge, mechatronics, mechanical engineering CAD, CNC turning, CNC milling, architectural stonemasonry, IT software solutions for business, welding, print media technology, wall and floor tiling, auto body repair, aircraft maintenance, plumbing and heating, electronics, web design and development, electrical installations, industrial control, bricklaying, plastering and drywall systems, painting and decorating, mobile robotics, cabinet making, joinery, carpentry, jewellery, floristry, hairdressing, beauty therapy, fashion technology, patisseries and confectionery, automobile technology, cooking, restaurant service, car painting, landscape gardening, refrigeration and air-conditioning, IT network systems administrator, graphic design technology, health and social care, construction metal work, plastic die engineering, visual merchandising, prototype modelling, concrete construction work, bakery, industrial mechanic millwright, heavy vehicle maintenance, 3D digital game art, freight forwarding, and water technology.
