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Taif Alamiri:
- The guide offers a clear, practical vision that serves all stakeholders involved in students’ work experience, aligned with the highest standards of quality and governance
- Implementation of the guide will be monitored through field visits and ongoing evaluation
United Arab Emirates: The Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research (MoHESR) has issued the Guide for Governance of Work Experience for Students in Higher Education Institutions (HEIs), including universities and vocational training institutions. The guide ensures that work experience – previously known as practical training – becomes a core part of students’ academic journey, bridging theory and practice to prepare students for the labour market while preventing improper work experience practices.
Her Excellency Taif Mohamed Alamiri, Acting Assistant Undersecretary for the Higher Education Regulation and Governance Sector, said: “We ensured the guide offers a clear, practical framework for all stakeholders involved in students’ work experience, aligned with the highest standards of quality and governance. It helps HEIs design more effective programmes, offers work experience providers a framework for collaboration with higher education institutions and gives students hands-on experience to prepare them for the labour market.”
Her Excellency Alamiri added: “The guide reflects MoHESR’s commitment to global best practices in educational governance. Its implementation will be monitored through field visits and ongoing evaluation in cooperation with our local and federal partners, to ensure compliance with the approved criteria. As work experience bridges education and employment, ensuring its quality is a national priority and an investment in the future.”
The guide establishes a unified national framework for work experience in HEIs, defining the roles of institutions, providers and students while enhancing oversight and quality assurance. It also offers operational manuals and templates to help universities design effective, high-quality work experience programmes that build students’ skills.
According to the guide, HEIs must create clear plans and assign supervisors to oversee students and assess their performance. Work experience providers should ensure a safe, supportive and professional environment and assign qualified mentors, as well as continually improving their programmes. Students are expected to show professionalism, attend regularly and document their work experience activities in an official certified record.
MoHESR oversees implementation through field monitoring and periodic unannounced visits to higher education institutions and work experience providers, in cooperation with its local and federal partners such as the Ministry of Emiratisation and Human Resources. These measures ensure compliance with standards, prevent improper practices and drive continuous improvement of work experience programmes.
MoHESR has also established direct channels to report comments or violations related to work experience through the Customer Happiness Centre (800511), via email at info@mohesr.gov.ae, on its website www.mohesr.gov.ae or via its mobile application.
The guide’s launch aligns with MoHESR’s strategy to strengthen quality and governance across the higher education system. It ensures that academic outcomes – both theoretical and practical – support the objectives of ‘We the Emirates 2031’ and ‘UAE Centennial 2071’, enhancing national competitiveness in education, research and innovation while preparing future-ready generations.
The full guide can be viewed through the following link.
For further information, please contact:
| Maher Al Bash | Sara Abuhassira |
| Sara Farrah |
