Educationists commended the wise decision which reflects the keenness of the UAE’s sagacious leadership in upgrading technical education keeping in view the fact that it forms the basis for creating competent national personnel.

The decision of the Abu Dhabi Executive Council, led by General Shaikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, to establish technical schools countrywide, as part of the government initiative to support and feed the labour market with technically skilled Emiratis, has received tremendous response from senior government officials.

Educationists commended the wise decision which reflects the keenness of the UAE’s sagacious leadership in upgrading technical education keeping in view the fact that it forms the basis for creating competent national personnel.

“The decision helps achieve the required development, and the wise leadership aims to expand technological and technical education in the various emirates of the country,” said Humaid Obaid Al Qattami, Minister of Education.

The idea took shape and strongly grew, according to him, since the establishment of the Abu Dhabi Centre for Technical and Vocational Education and Training (ACTVET). The centre was preceded by the Institute of Applied technology and Applied Secondary Schools in the various emirates of the country, by an initiative of General Shaikh Mohammed.

Hussein Ibrahim Al Hammadi, Director-General of ACTVET, praised the President, His Highness Shaikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, and General Shaikh Mohammed for sparing no efforts in creating a better future for the country. He said the establishment of the technical secondary school came in pursuance of the directives of General Shaikh Mohammed, and in implementation of resolution No 49 of 2010 on the setting up of the ACTVET, which oversees the technical and vocational education and training in the emirate of Abu Dhabi, and affiliates financially and administratively to the Executive Council.

“Our sagacious leadership is working within a framework to increase the rate of technical education in the emirate of Abu Dhabi to 30 per cent in 2016, and then at the UAE level,” he said.

He echoed the words of Al Qattami saying that the decision aims at expanding technical secondary schools to the country and not just in Abu Dhabi.

Dr Mugheer Al Khaili, Director General of Abu Dhabi Education Council said the decision will serve the education system in the country in general and Abu Dhabi in particular and is a step in line with the strategic plan to achieve Economic Vision 2030.

Mubarak Al Shamsi, Deputy director of ACTVET; Dr Abdul Latif Al Shamsi, Director General of Instiute of Applied Technology; Al Tayyib Al Kamali, Director of Higher Colleges of Technology; Dr Suliman Al Jassim, Chancellor of Zayed University; Dr Arif Sultan Al Hammadi, Chancellor of Khalifa University for Science and Technology; Dr Kathleen Hodge, Executive director of ACTVET; Dr Khidr Obaid, Director of Technical Schools in the county also praised the decision and described it as important.