National Programme for Advanced Skills launches Skills Cube initiative at Zayed University

ABU DHABI- The National Programme for Advanced Skills launched the "Skills Cube" initiative at the Zayed University’s main campus in Abu Dhabi to determine and enrich the skills of students, workers, and the general public with scientific and practical expertise.

The initiative launched under the "My Skill 12x12" campaign is aimed at creating new opportunities for employment and excellence in various vital sectors across the country and will include a number of activities and workshops on "growth mindset skills". The launch was held under the patronage of Dr Ahmad bin Abdullah Humaid Belhoul Al Falasi, Minister of State for Higher Education and Advanced Skills, and Noura bint Mohammed Al Kaabi, Minister of Culture and Knowledge Development, and was attended by students, administrators, and academic staff. The National Programme for Advanced Skills that was approved by the Cabinet last month is based on five main pillars.

It introduces advanced skills to the community and enables them to understand and measure them, all while inspiring community members to identify the skills they possess – all of which are objectives fulfilled by the "Skills Cube" initiative. "‘The ‘Skills Cube’ initiative is an innovative platform for the constructive interaction between students, employees, and people with expertise in various fields, enabling all segments of the community to develop their skills and effectively contribute to the continuous progress of our country," Dr Al Falasi said, noting that the future skills which the initiative focuses on are rooted in the UAE Vision 2021 and the UAE Centennial 2071. Noura Al Kaabi said, "This initiative will undoubtedly enhance the UAE’s pioneering position as a cultural and social model to be emulated. The emirate has set the benchmark for educating all members of the community and empowering them to play an effective role in development efforts, in implementing the objectives of the UAE Centennial 2071 Plan, and in strengthening the UAE’s status as a global hub for knowledge and creativity."

The event also included an interactive session with Faisal Al Hammadi, CEO and Founder of YACOB, which monitored food safety for students and a workshop on the Growth Mindset and Self-Development Skills. The 3-metre-long "Skills Cube" is an advanced skills icon, consisting of four sides. The first side symbolises the "advanced skills talks" that people engage in about the skill of the month. Through a number of seminars, they discuss ways of spreading skills and motivating members of the community to participate in the journey of skills development.

The second side is the "personal assessment of skills", which allows the audience to identify their most powerful skill.

The third side signifies the workshops to be held throughout the month in order to train community members to master the skill of the month, while the fourth side includes comprehensive information on advanced skills and the Strategy for the National Programme for Advanced Skills, as well as a screen for interactive videos.