The UAE's push for a future-ready workforce is gaining momentum, as the Higher Colleges of Technology plans to expand its professional training academies after a record year of student graduations.
The expansion follows the inaugural In^X Next 2026, which marked 30 years of HCT's Centre of Excellence for Applied Research and Training (Cert) and its rebranding as In^X Education.
Chief executive Khalid Alhammadi told The National that the centre currently operates four academies specialising in National Initiatives, Language and Communication, AI and Emerging Technology, and the Assessment Centre, with plans to increase the number to 10 in less than a year.
The academies aim to deliver specialised programmes tailored to organisations' needs and ambitions, equipping their workforces with relevant skills.
Cert has trained more than 105,000 Emiratis since its establishment, and In^X Education aims to extend its training capabilities across the region.
"In^X will be the biggest player in education, learning and professional development in this country and the region. We like to export our knowledge, so knowledge transformation is within our DNA as a country. It's my small part to play to transfer this knowledge to my neighbours," Mr Alhammadi said.
Largest graduating cohort
The expansion plans come as HCT held the largest university graduation ceremony in UAE history this week, with more than 6,700 graduates gathering at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi.
The cohort was 43 per cent larger than the previous year's, reflecting, HCT said, the growth of Emirati talent in the workforce.
Eighteen distinguished graduates received cars in recognition of their academic achievements, including 14 with a perfect cumulative GPA of 4.0 and three with a GPA of 3.99.
Among them was Haamed Marwan Al Ajmani, who graduated with a bachelor's degree in computer information science, specialising in security and forensics, from HCT's Dubai campus with a perfect 4.0 GPA.
He said balancing his studies with work, volunteering and national service was his greatest challenge.
“The greatest challenge during my studies was balancing the demands of study with work, volunteering and national service while maintaining a consistent level of academic excellence. This experience taught me discipline, time management and the ability to catch up and keep moving forward," he said.
Addressing graduates, Dr Ahmad Belhoul Al Falasi, Minister of Sports, HCT chancellor and chairman of its investment arm Capital H, said developing young talent was central to the UAE's economic diversification and competitiveness ambitions.
Education beyond graduation
Dr Al Falasi said a university degree was no longer the end of a person's education, but the beginning of a lifelong learning journey.
"What has been increasingly clear is that the education you get when you graduate from college or university is no longer the end, it's actually the start of your journey," he said at In^X Next 2026.
He highlighted the importance of understanding AI as organisations increasingly adopt the technology, saying his own AI training at Cert had helped him understand its potential.
"If I don't understand AI, how am I expected to use it in my organisation? If you have a very powerful tool, everybody in the organisation needs to understand its potential and understand how to use it. So that was one of the challenges with training the workforce," he said.
For In^X Education, improving Emiratis' employability through programmes aligned with the UAE's priority sectors and workforce demands will be a central priority.
"We see skills-based education, lifelong learning and AI readiness playing an increasingly important role in workforce transformation," Mr Al Hammadi said.
