UAE needs more students in vocational education, professionals say

Although attitudes are slowly changing, parents and peer pressure still lead many young people to believe that an academic course is the only way to a good job.

A student at a welding workshop at a vocational education centre. Jaime Puebla / The National

DUBAI // Young people should be more open to opportunities to train in vocational courses, say education professionals and students.

Although attitudes are changing, parents and peer pressure still lead many young people to believe that higher education is the only way to a good job.

Indeed, the value of trade-specific education remains largely underrated, according to Prof Ahmad Al Ali, vice chancellor of Emirates Aviation University.

He said the focus on academic education could prove detrimental to students who were intelligent and good with handicrafts but were not academically inclined.

Speaking at the Gulf Education and Training Exhibition (Getex) on Wednesday, Prof Al Ali said such students stood a better chance of finding jobs after completing vocational training.

He said there was a need for more aviation and mechanical engineers, and graduates who did well in their studies had a good chance of securing a job with Emirates Group.

“A successful country and economy are based on having a large population of skilled people and researchers,” said Prof Al Ali. “In Britain, polytechnics have played an important role in building that skills base with vocational courses and that is something we should look at.

“You need people with the relevant skills to turn research into reality, and that is done with vocational training.”

Last year, a Deloitte study, commissioned by Dubai International Academic City, found that only 1 to 3 per cent of students enrolled in vocational education.

That is below the global average of 10 per cent and significantly lower than developed countries such as Germany and Japan, which have enrolment rates of 40 to 50 per cent.

The Deloitte study predicted that the UAE would have a labour shortage of 200,000 this year, with key industries falling short.

The Government is aware of the issue and it has been setting up several vocational institutions in recent years.

“Our aim is to have the highest and best education and we are committed to investing in that,” said Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak, Minister of Culture, Youth and Community Development.

He said the UAE was an attractive centre for education because of the high quality of the country’s infrastructure and its safe and secure environment.

“Education is a priority for us, as the younger generations are our future and we will continue to invest in that,” said Sheikh Nahyan, who also stressed the importance of vocational education.

“Not every student is academically minded, so vocational education can provide an important way for young people to develop skills.”

Sara Sleem, assistant director of admissions at American University in Dubai, said students should focus on degrees and courses that work to their strengths.

“They pick the courses they think will allow them the best opportunity to get a job,” she said. “But that can be a misconception, and I tell students that it isn’t enough to just have a degree, you need to excel at what you do to stand out.”

Karan Zavar, 17, said parents were pushing their children to enrol in universities. “But academic education doesn’t prepare you properly for the world of work, so I think there should be vocational elements added to it,” he said.

Getex is being held at Dubai World Trade Centre and concludes on Friday.