Abu Dhabi: A group of school dropouts in the Western region have found a purpose by joining a power plant as technical trainees thanks to the Vocational Educational Development Centre (VEDC).
The centre also gives them a stipend of Dh2,000 a month. "The initiative is part of parallel projects implemented by the VEDC to provide jobs for Emirati school dropouts, apart from a regular vocational training campus for about 500 such pupils," said John Scott, General Manager of the centre.
He spoke to Gulf News on the sidelines of a press conference yesterday to announce new admission dates of regular vocational training courses and other projects for the centre located at Zayed Military City in Shahama.
The centre was set up under the patronage of General Shaikh Mohammad Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, in September 2006 to utilise the potential of school dropouts.
The gravity of the issue prompted the centre to start 'enterprise specific partnership' with the local industries to train school dropouts in that locality, said Scott. "The centre and Schuweihat Power Plant in Ruwais jointly recruited candidates by advertising in the media. We selected 16 candidates out of 75 for the posts of plant operator and maintenance technician trainees. "The eligibility criteria was completion of Grade 6 and for them to be between the ages of 16 and 23."
Scott disclosed that discussions are underway with a bus manufacturing company and the Oil and Gas industry to recruit Emiratis who have not completed their secondary education.
Five hundred students are trained in the technical branches of Automotive, Electrical, Mechanical fitting, Metal fabrication and the non-technical stream of Business Administration.
New branches
We are planning to introduce new branches for Graphic design and Fine arts, Air-conditioning, Motorsport, Aircraft maintenance, Automotive manufacturing and Emergency management.
Admission will start from March 23 and the number of students will be increased to 700 during this academic year. "It will reach 1,200 by next year," said Scott.
Students receive internationally valid certificates upon completion of the course as it is linked to the TAFE system of Australia and recognised by the UAE Ministry of Education, said Scott.
Apart from vocational training, students get the chance to enjoy daily sports activities and frequent adventure trips mountaineering, yachting and biking, said Scott.
