1,300 students to take part in skills competition

A UAE newspaper has said that 1,300 students from 60 countries will this week compete against one another in the world’s largest skills competition, WorldSkills, which starts in Abu Dhabi on Sunday.

According to an article in the Gulf News today, 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," Simon Bartlett, President of WorldSkills International, said at a press conference held ahead of the start of the competition.

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 students 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 Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces.

The UAE team at WorldSkills 2017 is comprised of 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.