Emirates Steel, the largest integrated steel plant in the UAE, yesterday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Vocational Education Development Centre (VEDC), a leading provider of integrated curriculum for academic and vocational studies in Abu Dhabi, and special project under the umbrella of the Institute of Applied Technology. The MoU establishes a clear framework for a strategic partnership between the two entities to provide career development opportunities for UAE National students pursuing their studies at VEDC.
Signed by H.E. Hussain J. Al Nowais, Chairman of Emirates Steel, and H.E. Hussein Al Hammadi, Chairman of IAT’s Board of Trustees, the MoU emphasizes the commitment to Emiratisation and development of young UAE Nationals by both organizations. VEDC is a special project under the umbrella of IAT. As part of the MoU, which took effect on April 1st, Emirates Steel has agreed to initially sponsor 20 VEDC students and provide them with employment opportunities once they graduate in June 2010. According to the MoU, Emirates Steel will sponsor, and later on recruit, between 20 and 40 VEDC graduates annually.
On the sidelines of the MoU signing, Emirates Steel also announced that 24 young UAE Nationals from VEDC have begun a Work Placement Program (WPP). The six-week internship, which kicked off on March 7, offers graduating students first-hand experience of the working world and prepares them for the first steps in their careers. Between 2009 and 2010, Emirates Steel provided 36 UAE Nationals with similar work placement opportunities.
Commenting on the MoU and WPP, Al Nowais said, “At Emirates Steel, we are committed to developing and strengthening the Emirati workforce and to the realization of Vision 2030’s ambitious Emiratization strategy. Today, we are taking major strides in that direction. Our strategy is to empower the future generations of UAE Nationals with the ability to develop their industrial expertise and provide them with the necessary tools and skill sets required to succeed in the workplace by complementing their academic education with advanced technical expertise. We are determined to continue creating opportunities to support and develop well-qualified and experienced young UAE Nationals to meet the demands of our growing industrial sector and support the development of the National economy as a whole. This is our promise to the future industrial pioneers of our nation.”
As part of the MoU, VEDC will design and implement a special curriculum that meets the needs and requirements of Emirates Steel’s UAE National students’ scholarship program. Sponsored students will undergo a rigorous job orientation program at Emirates Steel for two weeks at the end of every semester as part of this curriculum. Based on its manpower plans and strategies, Emirates Steel will only sponsor VEDC students in such disciplines as mechanical maintenance, electrical maintenance, electronics/instrumentation maintenance and operations technology.
Al Hammadi said, “Our graduates are the source of our pride and one of the major contributors to the success and development of our national economy and society. He stated also that the technical education is considered to be one of the main pillars of a sound economy. With the guidance and directives of our wise leadership, the Vocational Education Development Center has been established to serve those ends. This goal can only be achieved by implementing and utilizing modern technology and by preparing curricula that focus on hands-on activities and applied learning which comply with the needs and requirements of the industrial sector. We are committed to giving promising Nationals the chance to excel within a thriving environment, such as Emirates Steel.”
The objective of the Emirates Steel-VEDC partnership is to provide young UAE nationals with in-depth knowledge of the UAE’s industrial sector. “Once they graduate, they will have a better feel and understanding of the work culture within a large industrial establishment,” emphasized Mahmood Al Hameli, Emirates Steel’s Vice President of Administration Support.
Al Nowais and Al Hammadi signed a similar MoU in 2009 for sponsoring and developing IAT students.
