“The idea behind VEDC is a hands-on, visual curriculum that will cater to a certain segment of students, who have had some problems with staying in the regular educational system, and yet who still deserve to be armed with an education they can use to feel they are an important part of the country.”

The centre sent its first batch of 73 graduates into the workforce this summer.

“We work with the Ministry of Education to find these kids, and we provide them with hands-on applied learning,” says Mr Abid. “Most of our kids just can’t learn through the traditional way of learning, so our curriculum is based on hands-on workshops.”

Managed jointly by the Institute of Applied Technology (IAT), the VEDC is one of its six campuses that fall under the auspices of the UAE Armed Forces General Headquarters.

The young men are boarded at the school during two-, three- and five-year programmes, with their studies devoted as much to developing social skills as vocational work.

“This is the only institute of its type in the country, and perhaps in the whole region, that accepts students who for one reason or another could not complete high school,” says Mubarak al Shamesi, director of IAT. “We find these young men and tell them there is still hope, there is still a chance for them.”

VEDC’s students are trained in the technical branches of automotive, electrical, mechanical fitting, metal fabrication and the non-technical stream of business administration. New branches are planned to teach graphic design and fine arts, the mechanics of air conditioning, motorsport and aircraft maintenance, automotive manufacturing and emergency management.

“We help the students discover their talents and choose their interest,” says Mr al Shamesi. “We treat these students as men. We don’t patronise them. And above all, we actually help them in developing a career.”

The students receive internationally valid certificates upon completion of their course, which are linked to the Technical and Further Education system of Australia and recognised by the UAE Ministry of Education. Mohammed al Neyadi, the deputy director at IAT, says VEDC has created strong links to industry so graduates have an easier time moving out into the workforce.

“When they graduate, thanks to the good relationships we’ve nurtured with different companies in the UAE, all of our students will be placed in the workforce.”

The students also engage in daily sport activities and frequent trips involving mountaineering, yachting and biking.

The campus provides the boys with a social club, gym and mosque, as well as computer labs, workshops and classrooms outfitted with the very best in tools and equipment.

To celebrate the recent National Day, the students performed a series of short plays, pantomimes and comedic routines they had devised, directed and produced entirely on their own.

Each Emirati boy at the college is provided with individual attention and counselling. “It’s important that we give each student his fair share of centred attention. It’s almost like a ‘customer service’ concept for us,” says Mr Abid.

“We’re not a normal school or institution, but we still want our kids to feel comfortable about coming here, not forced.”

The programme looks to have settled on a successful formula, said Karam al Lawand, the career development manager. “In the beginning when the kids first come here, they have a negative attitude, their discipline is low, they don’t care and they feel like there is no hope for them.

“By the time they graduate, they’ve grown up to become disciplined and responsible men; you can see the difference. It’s extremely rewarding to be a part of that.”