ABU DHABI, 19th October, 2019 (WAM) – Since its launch in 2017, some 7,400 students have gained new skillsets from Abu Dhabi National Oil Company’s (ADNOC) corporate social responsibility programme for education.
The students, along with 958 teachers taking part in the programme, have developed skills in areas such as coding and robotics, and used LEGO bricks to explore science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).
Reem Al Buainain, Manager of Corporate Social Responsibility at ADNOC, told the Emirates News Agency, WAM, that through its programmes, ADNOC aims to achieve sustainable social change that support the Government Accelerators Programme – Ghadan 21 and UAE Centennial 2071.
Al Buainain added that ADNOC is also working to develop STEM education in the UAE by training a new generation of scientists and inventors and provide them with the required skills “to become driving forces for growth and prosperity.” This also contributes to the strengthening of the country’s efforts to create a sustainable and competitive knowledge-based economy, the CSR manager added.
She also noted that programme seeks to improve the quality of education and help Emiratis gain better skills to expand their future career prospects.
Al Buainain also praised the Ministry of Education, LEGO Education, Kumon and Emirati Coder, for their related roles in making the programme a success.
Kumon is a leading method developed in Japan to teach mathematics and other subjects to students from nursery to high school.
The Emirati Coder Programme is an initiative of Sandooq Al Watan which aims to teach the basics of coding to Emirati children ages 7-14. Sandooq Al Watan signed a partnership agreement with ADNOC to expand its locations to Al Dhafra and Abu Dhabi. By 2020, Emirati Coder aims to teach 2,500 children the basics of coding and enroll 500 in advanced coding programmes.
The LEGO education programme enables students to use digital tools, learn programming, and solve problems creatively within a team-based learning environment.
In line with the agreement between ADNOC and Lego Education, nine LEGO labs were constructed in several schools in Abu Dhabi, including in ADNOC schools.
Moreover, according to Market Research Engine, the number of international STEM-related jobs are expected to rise by 12.5 percent by 2024.
ADNOC’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) strategy, particularly in STEM, is in line with the leadership’s vision and aspirations to build a modern science-based education system to empower young people to ensure that they are qualified to meet the future needs of all business sectors in the UAE.
[Image Source: ADNOC Schools]
