The country’s largest skills competition, EmiratesSkills is a national event that challenges young people and introduces them to a huge variety of technical careers. Hundreds of students spent months learning their skills ahead of a three-day competition at ADNEC.

More than 500 students from across the country competed in 30 skill categories ranging from electrical installations and robotics to programming and aviation. They were supported and judged by a team of over 200 experts and 40 judging panels.

Seven students from Khalifa University participated in the competition; all placing in the top three positions in the respective categories in which they competed.

Khawla Mohamed Almarzooqi won Gold in Electrical Installations; Hanan Ahmed Alshamsi won Gold in CNC Turning; Noof Husamaldeen Alzaabi won Gold in Painting and Decoration; Abdulrahman Khalid Alshehhi won Silver in Electrical Installations; Meera Salem Alshoukari won Silver in Refrigeration and Air Conditioning; Mohammed Ayman Alsaeri won Bronze in Automobile Technology; and Sameeh Saeed Almaskari won Bronze in Electrical Installations. 

Khawla, BSc in Electrical Engineering, explains how the Electrical Installations skill category competition worked: “In this category, we were given a diagram of a complete electrical system. We had to mount the devices and the equipment on the walls based on the diagram. Afterwards, we needed to accurately mount all the equipment and all the devices in the correct places using the correct measurements. After mounting, we had to work on the wiring and the programming of the devices. We were expected to complete all the wiring for all the devices (outlets, light bulbs, and motors), the distribution board, and the control box within only 18 hours and 15 minutes. The grading was done based on a very rigorous marking scheme.”

Hanan, a BSc in Computer Science student, won first place in the “CNC Turning” category, which stands for Computer Numerical Control Turning. CNC Turning is used to produce the precise and interactive parts of complex products like a smartphone, airplane or automobile. 

Hanan was given a blueprint and had to program a computer using accurate inspection tools to fit the blueprint specification.  She then set up the CNC lathe on which materials turn around an axis at high speed, and where cutting tools driven by computer software are moved to produce the expected part with the cutting or clamping tools most appropriate to the material being used. She then sent the finished part to the assembly line with all other parts.

Noof, a BSc in Cell and Molecular Biology student, won first place in the “Painting and Decorating” category.

“I have been training for a year. It took us (my team and I) a long time to accomplish this magnificent result, which required not only painting abilities, but also carpeting, decor, and sweat to create an ideal setting from the ground up for us the train,” Noof shared.

She explained how the competition was divided into four sections: wallpaper, main design, free technique, and speed competition.

“It was a really long week because I was painting 8 hours a day for 3 days continuously . Throughout the year, I was able to accomplish and improve a great deal, particularly during the Covid-19 break. And now I’m training for the WorldSkills competition.”

Khawla, Hanan and Noof will now be eligible to apply for the 2022 WorldSkills competition in Shanghai, where they can test their abilities against the best of the best internationally. Hanan will also be competing in Euroskills, taking place in Austria this September.

The EmiratesSkills National Competition is the UAE’s premier event celebrating the outstanding Emirati talents in technical and vocational skills and inspires the young generation to get passionate about new trades, as well as embrace technology-based career pathways.

Erica Solomon
Senior Publication Specialist
20 June 2021

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ETIC 2019 Challenges Student Teams in Eight Categories; University Also Showcasing Relevant Research Innovations at Emirates Skills 2019

Khalifa University has announced it is organizing the Emirates Technology and Innovation Competition (ETIC) for the seventh successive year in collaboration with the UAE Ministry of Education at the Emirates Skills National Competition 2019.

ETIC 2019 enables student teams to express their knowledge and abilities in their areas of expertise in a fun way in eight challenging categories. These categories include Computer Programming, Cyber Security, Mobile Application Programming, Game Development, Drones: Build and Fly, Renewable Energy, Electronics: Design and Build, and Artificial Intelligence (AI).

The categories of ETIC 2019 are specifically designed to test and hone the skills of UAE national students in science and technology. They also demonstrate the expertise of our faculty,who will judge the student teams’ talents in each category according to the criteria set by the WorldSkills International.

Dr Arif Sultan Al Hammadi, Executive Vice-President, Khalifa University of Science and Technology, said: “For the seventh successive year, Khalifa University is proudly partnering with the Ministry of Education to host ETIC, which has grown into a multi-category challenge offering a perfect platform for students to measure their skills against peers from other institutions, and
enhance knowledge. As the need for science and technology expertise multiplies in the UAE, we are rising to the challenge by engaging the youth, and showing them how interesting and motivating a professional career in science could be.”

“It’s gratifying to witness the enthusiasm of young men and women who challenge themselves in these categories and even exceed our expectations. We believe this year’s ETIC at the Emirates Skills National Competition 2019 will further encourage students to explore emerging technologies, making them suitable future leaders to contribute to the UAE’s knowledge economy transformation,” he added.

In addition, Khalifa University is also showcasing some of its community-relevant and region-specific research innovations at Emirates Skills National Competition 2019. These innovative concepts include ‘Al Kharraf’ – a smart and practical climbing device to make collecting date palms easier, ‘Die Wheel’ – an eco-friendly vehicle powered by batteries for transportation either
in small areas such as buildings or can be used for mobility in cities, an automated cleaning system for solar photovoltaic (PV) panels, and a ground-breaking desalination device that can transform salt water into fresh water without electricity.

Organized by the Abu Dhabi Centre for Technical and Vocational Education and Training (ACTVET) from 15-17 April 2019 at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Center (ADNEC), the Emirates Skills National Competition 2019 showcases the talent of selected Emirati youths that demonstrates their skills in different competitions in the field of craftsmanship and technology by
challenging their peers, based on the standards and criteria of WorldSkills International. The National Competition is a great chance for discovering new skills and getting involved in “hands-on” workshops, as well as getting career advice by meeting with educators, experts and major industries.

As a research-intensive higher education institution, Khalifa University actively organizes and participates in trade, technology and academic exhibitions to demonstrate its capabilities in driving research and innovation.

News Writer
15 April 2019

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Students Demonstrate Public Speaking Skills, Culinary Talent and Expertise in Jewelry Designing

Khalifa University Chemical Engineering student Hamda Ali Alblooshi, junior Electrical Engineering student Buthaina AlKhayat, another Electrical Engineering student Khadeeja Khaled Hashem Mohamed Aljaberi and Industrial and Systems Engineering (ISYE) student Ahoud Abdulrahman Mohamed A. Alhashmi, as well as Aamna Hasan Almansoori have successfully proved their talents and won honors for the university at the 11^th edition of Emirates Skills National Competition 2019.

Alblooshi won ‘Silver’ and AlKhayat received ‘Gold’ in Public Speaking, while Aljaberi bagged a ‘Bronze’ in ‘Electronics’ at the crowded Emirates Skills 2019 competition that gave each talented individual an opportunity to outshine their peers. ‘Bronze’ winner Alhashmi proved her skills by becoming one of only six competitors shortlisted from nearly 40 applicants after individual culinary skills were tested in a cook-off challenge prior to the national competition. Aamna Hasan Almansoori won ‘Silver’ in Creative Arts and Fashion – ‘Jewelry’ category in WorldSkills-Abu Dhabi.

Faculty played a major role in developing student skills. It was Assistant Professor Dr. Nader Ayish, Department of English, who introduced the competition to Alblooshi and encouraged her to participate.

Alblooshi viewed the opportunity as both a learning experience and a challenge as she was still working on her public speaking skills. She said: “I arrived at the competition not knowing what to expect but still excited to perform and tried my best.”

As the days of the competition went by, Alblooshi learned a lot from her peers and mentors. She added: “Winning ‘Silver’ helped me to become more confident about my skill but also showed me that I have room to grow and learn. However, it was a great experience and I recommend this to everyone.”

AlKhayat promised herself that she would be 100% committed and would give it all, even though she realized she would miss a couple of labs and exams. But she went ahead all the same.

She said: “I did not set any expectations as to how good the other contestants would be because, to me, I was challenging myself and experiencing something new.”

She added that the contestants were definitely skilled and that was when she understood she had to bring in some uniqueness to her speeches. “That got me my ‘Gold’ medal which is the first step to achieve higher levels of confidence to develop my public speaking skills even more,” remarked a cheerful AlKhayat.

AlKhayat was guided by Dr Ayish, Assistant Professor Dr. Asli Hassan, and Senior Lecturer Dr. John Langille, all from Department of English.

Participating in WorldsSkills at Emirates Skills 2019 was an eye-opener for Aljaberi, who won ‘Bronze’ as she learned to work under extreme stress, pushed herself hard, and never giving up. “In the ‘Electronics-WorldsSkills EmiratesSkills’ category, students were tested in their electrical design, hardware and software skills,” she said.

On the third day, she and her partner were programming a vending machine that has its own database of users and credit information. She added: “It was definitely a real challenge, but I am grateful for the experience and happy about the medal. I am looking forward to get trained more to qualify for the WorldSkills AsiaSkills-Electronics category.”

Winning over others in culinary skills calls for professionalism and tackling several factors. In Alhashmi’s case, she never had any professional culinary experience or training, while other contestants were extremely skilled and passionate about cooking. However, she found the challenge hard for a different reason – because her category was sponsored by Emaar Hospitality which has very high standards for judging performances and even accepting contestants.

Once she was shortlisted, it was different, Alhashmi said and added: “I found it pleasant mostly because the relationship with other contestants was based on fair competition, mutual respect and similar interests.”

“The National competition in itself was a fertile soil for networking and meeting other people with a large spectrum of skills and possible project partners,” she added.

Almansoori began planning about competing in WorldSkills EmiratesSkills ‘Jewelry’ category even during her vacation. She said: “Jewelry design requires precision and I would like to be precise and perfect in everything I do. I know I have won, but in all honesty, it would not have really mattered if I didn’t, because finishing the competition with the most satisfying results mattered more to me than winning.”

Explaining how the whole experience also taught her patience, Almansoori added: “Waiting for my work to finish and waiting for the results, was quite nerve-wracking at first but I eventually learned to wait patiently. Even though my teammates and I were competing together, it didn’t impact our relationship, and we have become friends.”

Overall, Khalifa University students Alkhayat and Alblooshi won in the ‘National’ category from Abu Dhabi, while Alhashmi, Aljaberi and Almansoori were acknowledged in the WorldsSkills EmiratesSkills category.

A total of 114 Emirati youths were honored with gold, silver and bronze medals after the event in which 402 Emiratis had the opportunity to highlight their capabilities in 49 engineering, technological, technical and industrial areas, such as Artificial Intelligence, drone design, AutoCAD drawing, web design, aircraft and car engine maintenance, computer-assisted manufacturing, welding, fashion technology, robots and garden design.

Clarence Michael
News Writer
29 April 2019

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