In the presence of His Highness Sheikh Khalid bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Chairman of the board of directors of the Zayed Higher Organisation for People of Determination (ZHO), and Major General Pilot Sheikh Ahmed bin Tahnoun bin Mohammed Al Nahyan, Chairman of the National Service and Reserve Authority, ZHO has launched a programme to recruit UAE Nationals in special educational needs teaching roles.
His Highness Sheikh Khalid bin Zayed Al Nahyan said: “All the initiatives and projects that are being launched by ZHO take place within the framework of the directions of our wise leadership, which is sparing no effort in supporting all categories of the society. The profile of Emiratisation is among the national priorities and is one of the most significant key performance indicators of the UAE, as the Government of the UAE has set forth a methodological work map for the future of its national staffs for the optimum investment of the potential of the youth within the UAE and the enhancement of the position of human wealth as the pillar of civilisational advancement and development and the cornerstone of the project for sustainable development.”
His Highness applauded the signature of the quadrilateral memorandum of understanding (MoU) between the UAE University (UAEU), Abu Dhabi Human Resources Authority (ADHRA), Zayed Higher Organization for People of Determination, and the Ministry of Defense, represented by the National Service & Reserve Authority (NSRA), for the Emiratisation of the Special Education Teacher profession at ZHO, through the education, training and qualification of jobseekers of the national workforce via implementation of a study programme for 60 male trainees, who must be holders of the general secondary education certificate. The programme will qualify them for a duration of four years after the completion of service requirements, with a view to be employed at ZHO subject to their successful completion of the academic programme.
The signing of the cooperation agreement was attended by His Highness Sheikh Khalid bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Chairman of the board of directors of the Zayed Higher Organisation for People of Determination (ZHO), Major General Pilot Sheikh Ahmed bin Tahnoun bin Mohammed Al Nahyan, Chairman of the National Service and Reserve Authority, His Excellency Zaki Anwar Nusseibeh, Supreme President of United Arab Emirates University, and His Excellency Ahmed Tamim Al-Kuttab, member of the Executive Council and head of the Department of Government Support, and signed on behalf of the UAE University by His Excellency Dr. Ghaleb Al-Buraiki, Rector of the University, and on behalf of the Human Resources Authority of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi by His Excellency Amal Nasser Al-Jabri, Director General, and on behalf of the Zayed Higher Organization for People of Determination by His Excellency Abdullah Abdul-Aali Al-Humaidan Al-Amin General of the Foundation, and on behalf of the National Service Authority by Brigadier General Ali Obaid Al Mansouri, Director of Media and Communication.
His Highness Sheikh Khalid bin Zayed Al Nahyan delivered a speech to the candidates, in which he congratulated them for joining the academic programme, saying: “The leadership of the UAE believes in the youth and their abilities and capabilities as a source of creative potential and a vital motivator in the journey of development, and it strives to enhance their capabilities and develop their talents, and to provide them with the skills that enable them to actively take part in shaping the future of their country and community with their innovative ideas and their developmental suggestions and contemplations.”
His Highness called upon the youth who have joined the programme to work hard with all determination, persistence and positivity for offering the ideas and initiatives that will enable the innovation of practical solutions for facing the challenges that hinder their attainment of their hopes and ambitions and that stand against those who aim, with their destructive ideas, to bring down all the meanings of humanity, tolerance and peace, which are the most sublime values of any society.
His Highness said: “Supporting Emiratisation in the field of special education does not contradict with ZHO’s ongoing efforts for the attraction of global talents in the field of the care and rehabilitation of the people of determination. Talents are what enroot a diverse and robust economy that offers big opportunities for citizens and residents. The UAE will remain the country of openness in all fields for the attainment of a balance in the labor market in what would achieve stability for everybody.”
His Excellency Zaki Nusseibeh, the Cultural Advisor of His Highness the President of the UAE and the Chancellor of the UAE University, said: “The Emiratisation of educational staffs is amongst the most significant pillars of development in the UAE, as it contributes to the instilment and enhancement of the national identity among the generations, and it supports the efforts of the wise leadership towards a country that relies on science and knowledge, and it continues the journey of sustainable development with the hands of the sons and daughters of the UAE.
“UAE University is proud to embrace the Faculty of Education, which is always enhancing its position as a center of academic excellence in the region by being internationally accredited by the American National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education. It offers specialised programmes in the department of special education for the qualification of educational leaders and school curriculum specialists in cooperation with the Education University of Hong Kong.
“We look forward, through such agreement, to the graduation of specialized and outstanding educational staffs that possess knowledge, skills and professionalism in the education of this category that is dear to the hearts of everybody, in accordance with the internationally recognised educational standards.”
Following the signing of the memorandum, His Excellency Ahmed Tamim Hisham Al Kuttab, Chairman of the Department of Government Support in Abu Dhabi, said: “Since the inception of the UAE, youth have been regarded as the pillar of tomorrow and our most important wealth. The UAE has strived to educate them, refine their skills, and provide them with the support needed to prosper for generations to come. The signing of the Memorandum of Understanding today reflects the Abu Dhabi Government´s commitment to Emirtisation and developing local capabilities, unleashing their potential and leveraging their inexhaustible energies – which the Human Resources Authority translates through its commitment to this initiative.”
“This initiative highlights the importance of local talent in supporting the diversification of our economy and affirms the government’s commitment to provide opportunities for youth across multiple sectors, in order for them to gain specialised skills and enhance their opportunities in the labour market. It also highlights the vital role of strategic partnerships, and the advantages of aligning education outcomes with the needs of a modern workforce, along with the necessary preparation of qualified and competitive national talent.”
From his side, HE Abdullah Abdul Aali Al Humaidan, ZHO’s Secretary-General, said: “The initiative by ZHO, in cooperation with the partners, is one of the most important national initiatives in support of the efforts being undertaken by the Government of the UAE in the profile of Emiratisation, as it constitutes a pioneering step for the attraction and solicitation of the local workforce in the field of special education and the creation of employment opportunities for the Emirati youth in unconventional sectors that are out of the targeted sectors within the strategic plan of the government.
“We, at ZHO, always call and encourage students to join the departments of special education in the specializations that are needed by the labor market because we do actually need qualified national staffs to join employment with us in this humanitarian field for covering up the shortage of national staffs in this field.”
HE Abdullah Al Humaidan applauded the endless support that is being offered by all the organisations of the state to People of Determination, a thing which contributes to the promotion and advancement of our precious homeland, the UAE, and said: “ZHO greatly appreciates the role of its strategic partners in this national initiative, namely, the UAE University (UAEU), Abu Dhabi Human Resources Authority (ADHRA), and National Service & Reserve Authority (NSRA), and their care for cooperation with ZHO for the service of the categories of the people of determination, and their positive contribution to the advancement of the UAE.”
Under the MoU, UAEU selects and enrolls students who have completed their national service from the list of candidates submitted by the authority and who will join the academic programme, in accordance with the criteria that will be set forth by the university in liaison with ZHO. The university will provide periodic report to the Authority and to ZHO and provide them with the study plan of the academic programme, provided that it shall be conformant to ZHO’s standards and requirements for the profession. The minor specialisation of the programme’s students will focus on mental disabilities, autism and persons of multiple disabilities. Furthermore, the university will coordinate with ZHO for the field training of the students at several sites for gaining various expertise. The university will offer academic enrichment trainings on the topics that are not covered by the ordinary academic programme.
From its side, Abu Dhabi Human Resources Authority (ADHRA) will provide the university and ZHO with a list of the names of the applicants and candidates, of the Emirati citizens who are registered in the authority’s database, to join the academic programme. It is conditional that a candidate shall be registered with the Authority, in order to facilitate the process of his selection within the group of ZHO’s students, and in consistency with the requirements thereof. The authority will follow-up the performance of the trainees throughout the period of training, based on the monthly reports received by the authority from the university and ZHO, in addition to following-up the signature procedures of employment contracts with the trainees after their graduation. The authority will cover the entire cost of the monthly gratuities of the enrolled students throughout the duration of study, being four years, provided that the authority will pay the monthly cost of the students to, and in liaison with, the university.
ZHO will select the students from those jobseekers who are registered in ADHRA’s database to join the programme, in accordance with the criteria that are set forth by the University and in accordance with the requirements and the authority’s need, in consistency with ZHO’s needs according to the geographic distribution of the candidates’ places of residence. ZHO will prepare and sign the training contracts with the pursuing students who are selected to join the academic programme, and will provide the authority with a copy of such contracts, and will undertake the follow-up and supervision of the trainees’ performance throughout the period of the training programme, in addition to the recruitment of the enrolled students within a period not exceeding 90 days from the date of their successful completion of the academic programme and providing the authority with their names and after the completion of service requirements.
According to the joint MoU, the National Service & Reserve Authority (NSRA) will coordinate with the other parties for identifying the targeted students from the names of those who wish to join the programme out of those who have completed service requirements. NSRA will exchange the necessary details with the University, the Authority and ZHO for identifying those who wish to join the programme, and the anticipated time durations for the completion of their service for the fourth party, in addition to taking part in raising the awareness of the national service personnel and encouraging them to join the programme.
