CompTIA Partners with Abu Dhabi Polytechnic in Push to Skill & Upskill Emirati Nationals in IT

CompTIA, the leading voice and certification provider for the $5 trillion global IT ecosystem, has partnered with Abu Dhabi Polytechnic, a subsidiary of the Institute of Applied Technology, in support of its mission to strengthen the workforce through the delivery of education programs in high-demand and high-growth career areas.

The partnership is part of a larger push in the UAE to upskill Emirati Nationals working in government and higher education to meet national strategic business objectives in IT.

Dr. Ahmed Abdel Manan Al Awar, Director General of the Institute of Applied Technology at the Abu Dhabi Center for Technical and Vocational Education and Training, witnessed the signing of a new partnership agreement in the information technology sector, between Dr. Ali Hilal Al Naqbi, Director of Abu Dhabi Polytechnic of the Institute of Applied Technology, and Eng.Yasir El Kabbany, Senior Regional Director, Middle East & Africa  of CompTIA, the world’s leading provider of vendor neutral  certifications to the global IT ecosystem.

Through this multi-faceted partnership, CompTIA will support Abu Dhabi Polytechnic in mapping industry-recognised IT certifications to their curriculum, while supporting current and prospective students in their pursuit of those certifications. In addition, CompTIA will provide professional development, training materials and exam vouchers for Abu Dhabi Polytechnic trainers. A skills assessment tool will be available to both staff and students.

His Excellency Dr. Ahmed Abdul-Manan Al-Awar said, “This partnership is of great importance as it gives the graduates of the ‘Bachelor of Information Technology Systems’ from Abu Dhabi Polytechnic the opportunity to gain internationally recognised industry certifications, which makes them ready for their future IT role. The chance to obtain internationally recognized certificates in the field of information technology will encourage national students to join this important specialization at Abu Dhabi Polytechnic, and once graduated, form a place in building a more specialized and highly skilled workforce capable of meeting the requirements of Abu Dhabi Vision 2030 and the country’s strategic plans.”

Dr. Ali Hilal Al Naqbi explained that under this agreement, CompTIA will provide full sponsorship for one new student of people of determination to study information technology at Abu Dhabi Polytechnic for a period of one year for the first time. This gives the student the opportunity to obtain the CompTIA certifications, in addition to providing new mechanisms for professional development, training materials and examination models, which reflects the close compatibility between industry and education. This will lead to high performance in the main roles and tasks of information technology and improve alignment with accelerating global technological skills.

The intended outcome of the partnership is to enable students not only graduate with an academic degree, but also achieve gold standard industry certifications that are in high demand in the workforce. This closer industry-education alignment is reflective of a broader trend and newfound urgency everywhere around getting highly qualified talent into key IT roles to mitigate the global technology skills gap.

“This partnership will be the start of a new and unique way of preparing the Emirati students for the workforce market in the UAE by equipping them with International Industry recognized certifications, which will support the UAE vision,” said Yasir El Kabbany, Senior Regional Director-Middle East and Africa, CompTIA. “We are proud to sponsor an Emarati candidate (people of determination) to study IT at the Abu Dhabi Polytechnic for the first time ever. This is an important initiative to encourage the people of determination to enter the IT field.”

About Abu Dhabi Polytechnic
Abu Dhabi Polytechnic is a governmental entity managed by the Institute of Applied Technology. ADPoly is an exciting new venture that is bringing the internationally recognized Applied Bachelor / Higher Diplomas of advanced careers and majors in collaboration with various partners and a talented team of administrators and instructors. https://www.adpoly.ac.ae/En

About CompTIA
The Computing Technology Industry Association (CompTIA) is a leading voice and advocate for the $5 trillion global information technology ecosystem; and the estimated 75 million industry and tech professionals who design, implement, manage, and safeguard the technology that powers the world’s economy. Through education, training, certifications, advocacy, philanthropy, and market research, CompTIA is the hub for advancing the tech industry and its workforce. Visit  https://www.comptia.org/.