The number of Emirati students offered admission at the federal higher education institutions for 2012-2013 have increased by over a quarter from the last academic year.

A total of 14,570 students were offered places this year, a 26 per cent increase from last year’s 11,532.

Among the three federal universities, the Higher Colleges of Technology (HCT) has a reduced admission of 4,160 compared to last year’s 5,533. The UAE University (UAEU) and Zayed University (ZU), meanwhile, have increased places at their campuses. Admissions in the UAEU is up by eight per cent, from 3,727 to 4014 while ZU admissions rose by 10 per cent, from 2,272 to 2,496. Three hundred and eighty students were also granted scholarships to study abroad.

For the first time ever, and in a move aimed at supporting industrial manpower needs in the immediate future, about 3,520 male and female students were offered places at the Abu Dhabi Vocational Education and Training Institute (Adveti) for the coming school year.

Dr Mubarak Saeed Al Shamisi, Deputy Director-General of the Abu Dhabi Centre for Technical and Vocational Education and Training (Actvet), which manages Adveti highlighted the role played by vocational institutions in today’s market.

“The technical education here has changed in the recent years. The market now is looking at skills (and) this does not mean lower jobs or lesser opportunities (for vocational graduates).” He noted that once trained on diploma level (two years), Adveti students have the option to further their studies.

“We’ve done studies in the UAE of different industries and they are all keen to recruit graduates with specific skills. Linked to industry requirements, we train our students for the available jobs now and the future,” Al Shamisi pointed out.

Citing the Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation (Enec) and Etihad Rail, he noted that these companies would “require thousands of students in the coming years.”

This is the first time that Adveti is offering places for such a large number of students and Al Shamisi hopes for all of them to confirm their admissions at any of its campuses across the country.

In addition to its campuses in Abu Dhabi, Al Gharbiya and Al Ain, Adveti has recently expanded to other emirates including Fujairah, Ras Al Khaimah and Dubai. In September, Adveti will open its branches in Sharjah and Ajman. This year, the institute will also open its largest campus yet in the Mohammed bin Zayed City.

“We are in every city and we hope that they come ...our programmes are the best in the UAE,” Al Shamisi urged. Fresh students at Adveti are assessed according to their interest and competency level before getting placed into specific programmes.

“I would like to congratulate and welcome all the students who have been approved to the country’s federal universities and colleges. We want them to know that they are important to us and we aim to provide comprehensive educational opportunities for them,” said Shaikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, during the announcement on Tuesday.