ABU DHABI, (Pakistan Point News - 20th Jul, 2023) Emirates Global Aluminium announced today that the company’s “Engineer the Future” programme has reached more than 6,700 high school students in the 2022-2023 academic year.
Engineer the Future programme is implemented in partnership with Emirates Schools Establishment and BMW Group. The programme is designed to inspire a lasting interest in science, technology, engineering and mathematics, in line with the UAE Centennial 2071 vision which identifies STEM skills as a key element to the development of a competitive, diversified, knowledge-based economy in the UAE.
EGA’s Engineer the Future programme consists of an interactive learning experience designed to engage students in grades 9 to 12, and an opportunity to take part in an aluminium design challenge.
Some 68 percent of the students participating in Engineer the Future in the last academic year were female. In surveys taken after the sessions, students reported that their interest in studying and then pursuing careers in STEM fields increased significantly.
Abdulnasser bin Kalban, Chief Executive Officer of Emirates Global Aluminium, said, “Encouraging more young people to study and then pursue careers in STEM-related fields is essential for the achievement of the UAE’s Operation 300bn industrial growth strategy. Engineer the Future is one way at EGA that we support our youth in their interest in STEM, to have a lasting impact for nation.”
Hessa Rashid, Acting Executive Director of School Development Sector at Emirates Schools Establishment, commented, “The Establishment is keen to strengthen and develop the abilities of the students in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, by launching several programmes that qualify them for academic courses that are compatible with their professional ambitions, and meet the requirements of the future labour market. The high turnout of the Engineer the Future programme is the result of cooperation with EGA, and it reflects the interest of students in studying this vital field”.
“ESE is implementing this programme and many others in cooperation with its strategic partners to improve the quality of public education and link its learning outputs to the requirements of higher education," she added.
EGA itself is a major employer of STEM professionals, with some 1,500 people working at EGA in these fields including more than 500 UAE Nationals.
More than 400 students participated in the Aluminium Design & Innovation Challenge, competing for a AED15,000 prize.
EGA recruited more than 220 UAE Nationals last year, including 100 women. The average age of EGA’s 2022 UAE National recruits was 23 years old.
