With great foresight, vision and courage, His Highness Sheikh Mohammad Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, directed that the Vocational Education Centre (VEDC) be established as a matter of urgency to provide an opportunity for young men who have disengaged from the formal education system. VEDC is a boarding institute that caters for Emiratis who have an interest in vocational studies rather than mainstream academic education, enabling them to become citizens who will play an active role in contributing to the UAE society and economy. Our programmes are industry-based and all our graduates are given assistance to find a job at the end of their programme. VEDC offers alternative learning pathways which focus on applied learning methods (hands-on learning) which are well integrated with a personal development programme that educates young men in self-discipline, work ethics and employability skills that enable them to keep on the right track for lifelong employment. The provision of education and training in VEDC is carried out in three Schools:
1. Foundation School;
2. Vocational Training School;
3. Leadership and Military Training School.
This school-within-a-school model enables VEDC to be partitioned into smaller educational units that plan and run their own programmes, have their own staff and students, and have their own dedicated school buildings on the VEDC site. A great deal of educational research has shown that this model greatly enhances student achievement and well-being, enabling a greater sense of ‘community’ and strengthening working relationships between students and staff.