 Qatar Technical School, the country’s only vocational high school, is enjoying newfound respect as it trains students to work in the industries and services that keep the economy humming.
For years, many, not just in Qatar, looked down on vocational education as a fallback for students who couldn’t make it elsewhere. But in recent years this stereotype has slowly eroded and more and more young people are opting to enrol in vocational schools. In Qatar in particular, this type of education, once considered a secondary option for Qatari students, has now become a first choice.
Mohammed AbdulRahman Al-Hashimi, principal of Qatar Technical School, says “the number of students applying to the school this year as compared to previous years confirms the increasing acceptance of technical education.”
“When Qatar Technical School opened its doors back in 1998, there were only 97 students. Over the years, student enrolment has increased and the school now boasts a massive 433 students spread over three levels from grades 10 - 12, and an extensive waiting list,” says Mr. Al-Hashimi.
Owing to Qatar’s unprecedented economic growth, the ever-expanding energy sector and an equally booming construction sector have created a high demand for skilled labor. A recent World Bank study of Qatar’s labor market showed how growth in the energy, industrial, telecommunications and financial sectors has led to labor market shortages and reliance on skilled foreign labor.
Qatar Technical School, formerly known as the Independent Secondary School of Industrial Technology (SSIT), was established through an Emiri decree to help close the gap between education outputs and the needs of the labor market. Teaming up with the German Agency for Technical Cooperation (GTZ), the Ministry of Education worked to set up the school and develop a curriculum that would provide students with specific skills to enter the workforce immediately as well as provide education pathways into university degrees.
Mechanical and electrical engineering technology courses were introduced in the first year, followed by industrial processing technology in the second. Because of high demand for specialized skills, the school recently launched business administration and information technology courses.
“We design our programs in a way to suit the requirements of the local market as well as upgrading and promoting the quality of training in specializations most needed in the market,” says Mr. Al-Hashimi.
As in Germany, the method of teaching used is the dual system, which alternates theoretical classroom study with practical workshop exercises. Students are taught subjects like mathematics, English, science, and subjects directly related to their field of study which are more easily understood in the classroom for a week and then get hands-on training in workshops the following week.
“I like this school because it gives me the skills and knowledge needed to go and work in Qatar Petroleum or Qafac,” says Mohammed Dhabsan, an enthusiastic mechanical engineering student in his second year. His colleague Faisal AbdulAmin concurs, saying, “Here, we learn a lot of things that can allow us to go straight into the workforce or choose to continue further in our study.”
Saleh Abdulla, a second-year electrical engineering student, has been fascinated by wires and fuses since childhood. “As a child, I broke my toys just so that I could reassemble them myself,” he says. Saleh would like to complete his studies at the school and then enrol in a university to further his education.
Although the school focuses on providing specific skills required in the labor market, students also manufacture and produce items in the workshops. A recent achievement by the Industrial Processing Unit was the successful production of bio-diesel in the school’s laboratory. Students from the Industrial Processing Unit produced the non-pollutant, cleaner burning diesel using renewable vegetable oil.
 Rashid Al-Haidoos, a second-year student at the unit, explains how his team comprising 13 students and five instructors brought used vegetable oil into the laboratory and worked for weeks distilling and separating the different oils to obtain the bio-diesel.
“We worked in our laboratory and then tested it at the Qatar Petroleum labs in Mesaieed,” he says. “We also tested the diesel on vehicles that were donated by the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Agriculture.”
In fact, the unit was asked by the Doha Asian Games Organizing Committee to supply bio-diesel to some of the vehicles used during the Asian Games, and set up a mini-lab in a booth to showcase the procedure of producing bio-diesel at the Asian Games. The unit is looking to establish a full-fledged laboratory that will not only provide training on the basics of manufacturing processes to students but will also be considered a mini chemical factory.
“Students completing this course will easily obtain jobs as technicians in chemical or industrial processing in Qapco, Qatargas or a plastic factory,” says Saif AbdulWahab, an assistant instructor in the Industrial Processing Unit. “If they choose to continue further into university, they can earn a BSc in Industrial Processing Engineering, which qualifies them for even higher and better posts.”
It is mandatory that all students attend summer internships or on-site courses in private companies to familiarize themselves with the equipment and workplace environment.
“These on-site training courses give our students the experience they need and the confidence that what they are working on in the school is the same as that seen in the factories, only on a larger scale,” says AbdulRahman Al-Hajji, an Electrical Engineering instructor who previously worked in Qatar Petroleum for 10 years.
Qatar Technical School also aims to give its graduates international recognition and ensure they are globally competitive. In mid 2006, the school was awarded the “Committed to Excellence” award by the prestigious European Foundation for Quality Management (EFQM), which trains companies and organisations on advanced self-evaluation and planning strategies.
Although some Qatar Technical School graduates choose to move on to higher education, the school provides enough theoretical and hands-on technical training to enable them to enter the workforce immediately.
“We already have some of our graduates contributing in the workforce. Ultimately, I hope we will have more schools for both boys and girls to provide this kind of education and more. Many courses like nursing, hair and make-up, and culinary arts can be provided through vocational studies and help support other fields of the economy,” Mr. Al- Hashimi says.
The school continues to gain popularity and employers are recognizing the difference in skills of its graduates in the workforce. At the same time, the school strives to keep abreast of the latest developments in technology so as to provide students with the latest, up-to-date knowledge and skills needed in the market.
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