More than 50,000 UAE students already registered to visit WorldSkills Abu Dhabi 2017

11 July 2017

More than 50,000 students from around the UAE are set to be inspired by the incredible excitement of WorldSkills Abu Dhabi 2017, the world’s largest vocational skills competition.

Organized by Abu Dhabi Centre for Technical and Vocation Training (ACTVET) and partnered with Abu Dhabi Tourism & Culture Authority, the event at ADNEC from 15-18 October is held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces.

Students of different age groups, but with a special focus on school pupils in grades 7 to 12, will watch first hand as 1,300 participants from more than 70 countries take part in 51 skill competitions during the biggest international skills event of its kind. The students will also have the opportunity to try skills and visit the careers advice area to explore future opportunities in the Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) sector.

Such a strong commitment from the UAE’s young generation is evidence of the high domestic interest in pursuing vocational careers, and there is still availability to register school groups to visit the event.

Engineer Fahar AlSuwaidi, Head of Marketing, Communications and PR said: “It’s a hugely positive sign that so many students from the UAE will be interacting with one of the most important events ever to be held in Abu Dhabi. With more than 50,000 students already registered, and many more to follow, it shows there is widespread interest in pursuing vocational, technological and service oriented careers.

“We can promise all visitors plenty of intense competition between incredibly skilled young people from around the world. Seeing the huge variety of skills on display, such as Mechatronics, Landscape Gardening, Fashion Technology, and Cooking, is a fantastic chance to be inspired and take the next step towards becoming a skilled professional of the future and contributing to the UAE’s economic diversification.”

Last week, ACTVET marked the 100-day countdown until the beginning of WorldSkills Abu Dhabi 2017 with an activation in Yas Mall where a totem in the shape of the number ‘100’ was unveiled alongside two UAE participants performing their skills of artwork and floristry.

Today’s announcement on the impressive number of students registered for the event coincides with the UN-established World Youth Skills Day on 15 July 2017.

The high number of schools that have confirmed they will attend the competition with their students, follows a long-running collaboration between ACTVET and the UAE’s main education entities – the Abu Dhabi Education Council (ADEC), the Knowledge and Human Development Agency (KHDA), the Ministry of Education (MoE) – as well as two organizations supporting people of determination – the Zayed Higher Organization (ZHO) and SEDRA Foundation.

This strong collaboration started in 2016 to ensure thousands of young students get the chance to experience one of the biggest educational events in the world. The WorldSkills team has travelled around the UAE visiting schools and outlining the event to principals and teachers from all emirates, while also explaining how to make sure their students can visit the Competition.

More registrations after the summer break are expected with a target of 80,000 student visitors during the event, representing 80% of the overall 100,000 expected visitors. Although the venue is open all days, organizers encourage female schools to register for the first and last days, and male students on the second and third days.

The 44th edition of the biannual WorldSkills Competition is taking place in the Middle East and North Africa region for the first time and is expected to have a significant impact on the UAE’s education sector.

It is a unique opportunity for the country to benchmark its vocational education and training systems, as well as raise standards in traditional trades and multi-skilled technology careers in industry and service sectors. There will also be a Ministers TVET Summit attended by ministers of education, industry, and business.

Educational institutions seeking to register their students for WorldSkills Abu Dhabi 2017 must do in advance via the link https://worldskillsabudhabi2017.eventadv.com/schoo...