“Higher Education” offers 545 training opportunities through the national platform for practical training for students

The Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research revealed that 48 higher education institutions have joined the “National Platform for Practical Training for Higher Education Students in the State,” which was launched in cooperation with the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation and the Emirati Talents Competitiveness Council – the “NAFES” programme, with the aim of enhancing integration between the academic path and practical experience, and raising students’ readiness to acquire skills related to the requirements of the labor market.

The results of activating the platform three months after its launch showed the participation of 37 training bodies in the public and private sectors, offering 545 practical training opportunities for students within vital sectors, such as: (the financial sector, insurance, information and communication, administrative and support services, education and the real estate sector), and other vital sectors. The platform also focused on the diversity in the specializations offered, including (engineering, human resources, accounting, marketing, statistics, taxes, data) and others. This provided students with various opportunities to enhance their applied skills and prepare to enter the labor market with confidence and success.

Khalfan Mohammed Al Suwaidi, Director of the Department of Employment Support and Labor Market Partnerships at the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research, said: The national platform for practical training has witnessed qualitative development over the past months, and interaction from stakeholders, which confirms the growing public awareness of the importance of achieving integration between academic knowledge and professional application, as the platform is an organized national framework that contributes to consolidating the culture of training as an integral part of the educational journey, and supports building cadres capable of competing and contributing effectively in various sectors.

Al Suwaidi added: “Through this initiative, we seek to enable students to gain practical experiences that enhance their readiness for the labor market. We also work to provide a supportive training environment that contributes to aligning educational outcomes with the needs of vital economic sectors, by increasing the number of participating entities and diversifying training opportunities.”

The Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research confirmed that all training programs and opportunities provided by the platform are subject to the standards and requirements set by the ministerial decision regarding the governance of practical training, in addition to its guideline, with the aim of ensuring that the training experiences are effective and integrated and support the development of students’ practical skills.

With the aim of supporting the activation of the platform and enhancing awareness of registration mechanisms and benefiting from the services provided by the platform, the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research implemented 5 introductory workshops dedicated to higher education institutions, in which about 700 representatives of these institutions participated. During these workshops, the mechanism of using the platform, the requirements for including training opportunities, and the paths of linking students with practical training destinations were explained, which contributes to providing more effective training experiences.

It is noteworthy that the national platform for practical training provides an integrated digital environment that enables students to access qualitative training opportunities, and allows higher education institutions and training entities to organize and follow up the training experience. The platform’s integration with the “NAFES” program also contributes to building a unified national database that enhances institutional cooperation and consolidates the concept of practical training as a strategic tool to prepare national competencies for success and excellence in the labor market after graduation.