United Technologies, HCT sign deal

United Technologies Corporation (UTC) and The Higher Colleges of Technology (HCT) have signed an agreement to establish a dedicated UTC Training Centre at HCT to help students develop the skills necessary for pursuing manufacturing careers. The agreement was signed by Sheikh Nahayan Mabarak Al Nahayan, Minister of Higher Education & Scientific Research, and Chancellor, Higher Colleges of Technology and Louis R Chenevert, UTC Chairman & Chief Executive Officer on Thursday. Sheikh Nahayan and Chenevert also officially opened the UTC Training Center, located at the campus of the HCT Abu Dhabi Men’s College. UTC and HCT will collaborate and train HCT faculty on UTC’s Achieving Competitive Excellence (ACE) operating system in anticipation of creating an ACE curriculum at HCT. The parties also will co-operate on delivering UTC courses in leadership development, program management and sustainability awareness to HCT faculty and students. Dr Tayeb Kamali, Vice Chancellor of the Higher Colleges of Technology, said the innovative UTC Training Center would assist students in honing their employment skills so as to effectively contribute to the nation’s growth, and also to provide faculty with additional training opportunities. “The Higher Colleges of Technology is proud to provide cutting-edge and student-centered education practices, such as this center, to prepare its graduates for in-demand careers in this increasingly globalised economy,” Dr Kamali said. “With our partnership with UTC we are developing graduates with the knowledge, skills and confidence to contribute effectively for the 21st Century and to reach their full potential.” “As we celebrate the Higher Colleges’ 25th Silver Anniversary we continue our focus on connections with industry leaders, such as UTC, to enable our students to obtain vital skills through ‘learning by doing’ that will give them a solid foundation as they enter the workforce,” Dr Kamali added. “This partnership builds on UTC’s core values - producing world-class products for modern life and applying world-leading manufacturing skills. UTC’s operating system, ACE, is at the heart of UTC’s success and we look forward to bringing these skills to the Gulf region. The partnership with HCT furthers our commitment to advancing education, promoting innovation and encouraging understanding, respect and collaboration across cultures,” said Louis Chenevert, UTC Chairman & CEO.” “The Gulf region is an important market for UTC and cultivating the region’s best talent will fuel innovation and growth for decades to come,” he added. As part of the agreement, UTC becomes a founding member of the HCT Foundation’s HCT 100, a group of top business partners contributing to development of the UAE workforce. UTC and the HCT Foundation also will explore other opportunities for collaboration, such as possible internships for HCT faculty and students and tours of UTC facilities to familiarise HCT students with employment opportunities in those businesses. United Technologies is a diversified company that provides a broad range of high-technology products and services to the global aerospace and building systems industries. Their commercial businesses are Otis elevators and escalators and UTC Climate, Controls & Security, a leading provider of heating, ventilation, air conditioning, fire and security systems, building automation and controls. Our aerospace businesses are Sikorsky aircraft and the new UTC Propulsion & Aerospace Systems, which includes Pratt & Whitney aircraft engines and UTC Aerospace Systems aerospace products. The Higher Colleges of Technology has grown to be the largest of the higher educational institutions in the UAE, gaining a well-respected reputation for innovative learning. Close to 20,000 male and female students attend 17 modern campuses in the cities of Abu Dhabi, Al Ain, Dubai, Ras Al Khaimah, Sharjah, Fujairah, and the western region of Madinat Zayed and Ruwais. HCT offers a broad range of English-taught programs in Applied Communications, Business, Education, Engineering Technology, Computer & Information Sciences, General Education, and Health Sciences. These programmes are all relevant to the UAE’s fast growing and evolving economic sectors. From Gulf Today