Held under the patronage of Her Highness Sheikha Fatima Bint Mubarak, Supreme Chairperson of the Family Development Foundation (FDF), the 2014 edition of the event that runs from 14 - 15 April will see 600 select Emirati youth from various schools, universities, and institutes demonstrating their skills across 24 categories in craftsmanship and technology.

The event will also offer a number of hands-on workshops, career counselling and networking opportunities with educators, experts and key industry representatives, besides showcasing the best student projects.

Humaid Matar Al Dhaheri, Chief Commercial Officer at ADNEC said: “In line with the key objectives outlined by the Abu Dhabi Economic Vision 2030, which seeks to give Emirati youth a greater role in the development of the emirate, Abu Dhabi National Exhibitions Company takes keen interest in tapping into our national talent pool through providing various training programmes and career choices. We also support initiatives by other entities to enable our youth to seize the opportunities created by the economic diversification programmes, especially in key industrial sectors identified by Abu Dhabi Economic Vision 2013.”

“While the demand - supply imbalance in the UAE job market persists, even as a growing number of young Emirati graduates coming out of our technical schools looking for a career in vocational and technical fields, events like Emirates Skills National Competition will fill the gap for a platform to attract talented youth, showcase their technical skills and gain the right recognition,” Al Dhaheri added.

Launched in 2006 as an initiative under the umbrella of the Abu Dhabi Center for Technical and Vocational Education and Training (ACTVET), Emirates Skills hosts competitions, events, training programmes and career activities to create awareness about career-oriented technical and vocational education among young Emiratis.

The event is Abu Dhabi’s answer to WorldSkillsGCC Competition and WorldSkills Competition, the biggest vocational skills competition in the world. The event is held in association with leading educational institutions and public and private sector partners to equip the UAE nationals with necessary skills that enable them to serve the emirate’s burgeoning industrial sector.

ADNEC, the premier venue for business meetings and exhibitions in Abu Dhabi offers 133,000 sq m of inter-connected floor space to match the expectations of the wide variety of events and exhibitions. Equipped with modern facilities and built according to international standards, the venue attracted 1.53 million people across 328 events in 2013.