Under the patronage of Her Highness Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak, Chairwoman of the General Women’s Union, President of the Supreme Council for Motherhood and Childhood, Supreme Chairwoman of Family Development Foundation and Mother of the Nation, 14th Edition of the EmiratesSkills National Competition. Launched by Abu Dhabi Centre for Technical and Vocational Education and Training (ACTVET), taking place from 13 - 15 March 2023 at Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Center (ADNEC), with the participation of more than 300 talented Emirati competitors who will compete in 23 technical and vocational skills, assessed and evaluated by over 100 experts.

EmiratesSkills National Competition is the largest platform in the country for aspiring Emiratis seeking to build their career and entrepreneurial endeavors in technical and vocational fields.

Dr. Mubarak Saeed Al Shamsi, Director General of ACTVET said: “EmiratesSkills National Competition is a valuable opportunity for highly skilled Emirati youth to qualify for the UAE’s National team, which will represent UAE at the prestigious WorldSkills Competition 2024 as well in other regional & international competitions and will help strengthening UAE’s global position and ranking in TVET.

“Today’s youth hold the key to unlocking a sustainable tomorrow. The competition contributes to empowering the Emirati youth so that they can drive innovation, lead change and built a brighter future for generations to come”.

His Excellency Dr. Mubarak Saeed Al Shamsi also highlighted the importance of involving young participants between the ages of 12 to 15 years in junior levels at the EmiratesSkills National Competition this year, where they will compete in four skills including mobile robotics, public speaking, 3D printing and coding. He said: “By nurturing these skills at an early age, we can help cultivate a culture of innovation and excellence among the youth in the UAE.”

In contrast to previous years, this year’s participants are also the winners of Skills Challenge which was held early this year across all emirates. They will compete in 23 skills including aircraft maintenance, mobile robotics, CNC milling, CNC turning, coding, 3D printing, artificial intelligence, programming and many more. Through this initiative, ACTVET aims to prepare a team that will represent UAE in global competitions and strive to repeat the achievements of the team who participated in WorldSkills Competition 2022 and won 1 Gold and 9 Medals of Excellence.   UAE Nationals between ages of 16 to 21 years are eligible to compete in their chosen discipline and are evaluated as per international WorldSkills International Competition standards.

Ali Al Marzouqi, President of EmiratesSkills, said: “For 13 years, National Competition has helped in developing skills, creating excitement and igniting passion for learning among young Emiratis thereby ensuring that there is a talent pipeline coming through to address existing skill gaps in the current labor market as well preparing them for the jobs of future.” EmiratesSkills National Competition is an open to all event, ACTVET invites student, parents, professionals, and wider community to join the event at ADNEC from 13th March to celebrate outstanding Emirati talent.

For more information, visit https://www.emiratesskills.ae/.