Abu Dhabi: Providing Emiratis with vocational education is one of the UAE's main objectives to help students keep up with growing market demands, said Shaikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Minister of Presidential Affairs and Vice President of the Abu Dhabi Education Council (ADEC) during his visit to the first vocational institute in the UAE.
The Abu Dhabi Vocational Education and Training Institute (ADVETI), which started in 2007, has 94 teachers and 886 students who can earn diplomas in various fields.
Students receive a blend of academic theory and practical training in order to help prepare them to enter the workforce immediately after completing their diplomas.
Institute Director Gary Pollock told Gulf News, "My role is to coach, guide and prepare Emiratis to take part in senior positions.
"We already have Emiratis employed in human resources, finance, marketing and in important service and support roles. Our five year strategy plan is to have our students be our first teachers in the ADVETI".
