Today's Edition
SARA ALZAABI (ABU DHABI)
The Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology (MoIAT), in collaboration with the Ministry of Human Resources & Emiratisation (MoHRE), the Emirati Talent Competitiveness Council (Nafis), and the ADNOC Group, invited local talent to the Al Ain edition of "The Industrialist Career Exhibition."
Hosted in Jefeer, Al Ain, on February 22-23, the exhibition presented opportunities in jobs and training in the industrial and advanced technology section.
This was targeted at high school and bachelor's degrees graduates and complied with regional growth plans for the next five years.
The exhibition aimed to qualify, train and empower Emiratis for careers in the industrial and advanced technology sectors, offering more than 500 job opportunities in fields such as engineering, accounting, procurement, human resources, information technology, auditing as well as sales.
Salama Alawadhi, Assistant Undersecretary for the Industrial Development Sector at MoIAT, noted in an interview with Aletihad how the exhibition supports the ministry's industrial goals.
"The Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology launched its industrial technology strategy in March 2021, also known as Operation 300bn strategy. One of the main objectives of this strategy is to double the industrial sector's contribution from Dh133 billion in 2020 to Dh300 billion by 2031," she said. "Through this strategy, we are focusing on attracting investments in the industrial sector, developing new products within the country, and attracting the right talent to the sector. This is why we are implementing the industry's programme, which is fully aligned with the objectives of the Operation 300bn strategy."
Al Awadhi said that the main goal of the industrialist exhibition is to reach all emirates, with the next edition scheduled for May 19-22, 2025, and plans for another edition later in the year. The aim is to make the exhibition available year round across all emirates.
"The partnership with the private sector has greatly helped us close the gap between demand and the skills shortage we are facing. This is a global issue, not just local. We work closely to create customised training programmes for local talent through the industries programme. In the past years, we have trained more than 150 Emiratis in the industrial sector," she said.
"In addition to that, through previous programmes, we have provided on-the-job training, where we trained Emiratis and then distributed them across various job opportunities," she added, explaining how partnerships in the public and private sectors and Nafis close the gap in skills and also facilitate Emiratis in their career paths.
Al Awadhi said that the Ministry closely monitors the 500 job opportunities from the exhibition, making sure to track the offers, follow up on any issues, and continue to offer additional talent if needed, even after the event concludes.
