Shamma bint Sohail Faris Al Mazrui, Minister of State for Youth Affairs, inaugurated the first International TVET Youth Forum, which is being held on 14th and 15th October during the 44th WorldSkills Abu Dhabi 2017.

''This forum, which is being hosted by the UAE for the first time, provides an important juncture for youth to reshape the future they dream of,'' she said adding that they will make that future by their efforts, energy and skills.

Mubarak Saeed Al Shamsi, Director-General of the Abu Dhabi Centre for Technical and Vocational Education and Training, organiser of the event, along with senior officials and representatives of 78 countries attended the opening ceremony.

The event is the first of its kind and a unique opportunity for young professionals to shape the future of skills. Participants will discuss specific global challenges with the aim to deliver their vision of the future to high-level policymakers and to spark a positive change.

Some 300 young men and women from 59 countries along with 58 UAE university students will work together to write a Youth Declaration on the future of skills and technical and vocational education and training, TVET, and present it to global decision makers.

The Youth Declaration will be the starting point of a powerful legacy, framing conversations that follow WorldSkills Abu Dhabi’s vision to trigger concrete global action.