It is of surprise that under the umbrella of the “Future Partnerships” initiative, the UAE Government Development and the Future Office, launched the “building future talents” initiative, in partnership with Ernst and Young (EY), and the Emirates Schools Establishment (ESE), to build 10,000 UAE public school female students’ skills in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).
The initiative is based on introducing an interactive smart application that includes more than 450 activities on 21st-century skills, provided by more than 15 elite universities and educational institutions primarily NASA, UC Berkeley, University of Pennsylvania, and a number of international organisations such as the World Economic Forum and the UNESCO.
The initiative aims to build students’ future skills and enhance their participation in practical fields related to STEM, being among the main future pillars of the UAE’s future directions. Through its smart application, the initiative presents high-quality training courses and holds innovative gamified competitions to motivate students and enhance their passion for science and technology.
The smart application presents three innovative reward categories for students participating in the initiative, based on the points they accumulate for every step they complete. The awards include in-kind prizes, virtual mentorships, innovation fellowships, training opportunities with EY experts, and the opportunity to redeem the points as donations to support humanitarian initiatives of the Emirates Red Crescent and the Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives (MBRGI).
Hence, the application includes 17 main topics aiming to build students’ skills, including jobs of the future, emerging technologies, robotics and automation, blockchain, the future of space, green technology, 5G networks, as well as the future of the industrial revolution. In addition, it tackles main interpersonal skills such as creativity, innovation, agility, adaptability, change management, and effective communication skills.
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