The Dubai College of Tourism (DCT), part of Dubai’s Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (Dubai Tourism), has announced its Scholarship and Awards programme for the upcoming academic year commencing in September. The programme features a range of grants and awards for students seeking to pursue a successful tourism-related career in Dubai.

DCT will be awarding the Year of Tolerance Scholarship and the UAE Nationals Scholarship, as well as five different merit-based awards to talented students, as part of Dubai College of Tourism’s Scholarship Fund that was established to help develop the next generation of tourism professionals.

The Year of Tolerance Scholarship is open to students from all expatriate communities in the UAE while Emiratis can apply for the UAE Nationals Scholarship. Both scholarships will provide a 25 per cent discount on tuition fees for their selected course at DCT. Each expatriate student who is able to provide a copy of a Grade 12 (or equivalent) high school graduation certificate from a UAE-registered school or college will have the opportunity to obtain the scholarship.

Students can also apply for the following Awards:

Medyaf Award - As part of DCT’s industry nationalisation initiative that aims to attract and train various segments of Emiratis in tourist-facing roles, this Award is open for UAE nationals showing exceptional promise and interest in the industry.

Industry Promise Award – It will be offered to a student showing exceptional promise and interest in the chosen field of study during the admission process.

Academic Merit Award – This will be awarded to a student for outstanding performance in Grade 12, and who also performs well during the admission process.

Extracurricular Merit Award - Students who have produced exceptional performance in the arts, sports or any other extracurricular activity can apply for this award.

Corporate Award – This is a special award that will be given to a student who can demonstrate that a parent works in either tourism, hospitality, retail, events or the culinary arts sector.

All students applying to DCT will be considered for Scholarships and Awards with each student entitled to a maximum of one Scholarship and one Award, increasing their chances of obtaining a bigger discount. Scholarships will cover the duration of the students’ studies at DCT while Awards will be reviewed annually based on a student’s performance. The Scholarships and Awards cover the five core fields of study that are available at DCT - Tourism, Events, Hospitality, Retail Business and Culinary Arts - as part of its world-class vocational education offering.

With the education sector compelled to go virtual in many aspects due to the COVID-19 pandemic, DCT is adequately equipped to run all of its courses online, as it has already launched distance and e-learning models, and rolled out online training programmes for both young students and tourism industry professionals over the past few years. DCT has further enhanced its e-learning programmes in this period of social distancing by running its vocational certificate courses through virtual, interactive sessions that have a classroom ambience, complete with inspirational instructors, live guest speakers, practical demonstrations, group presentations, role-plays and assessments.

Essa Bin Hadher, General Manager of DCT, commented:

“The Dubai College of Tourism is honored to announce these Scholarships and Awards, in line with Dubai’s tourism strategy to help develop highly qualified professionals for tourist-facing roles. The College is committed to helping students in Dubai develop their practical skills, industry talents and self-confidence through the diversity of courses and supported by active industry collaborations aimed at providing students with a transformative educational experience. In light of the current situation, we have made several enhancements to our e-learning platforms to ensure that our students are able to continue their studies without disruption, in a friendly and proactive environment.

“In giving away the Scholarships and Awards featuring special discounts on tuition fees, DCT has also taken into consideration the dilemma facing parents and their children who want to continue their higher studies overseas but are prevented from doing so as a result of the global travel restrictions caused by the pandemic. DCT is offering an alternative career pathway away from the traditional academic university programmes by providing these students an opportunity to follow our affordable specialised courses during these unprecedented times.”

As a vibrant member of the education and tourism sector in Dubai, DCT provides students the knowledge, skills, and competencies required for securing either a successful career in the tourism sector or in other sectors with multiple tourism touch points. A course at DCT will increase their chances of joining the city’s rapidly evolving tourist-facing workforce, especially since the curriculum is designed with a strong focus on industry involvement and building industry connections. The flexible courses are taught by established professionals and include engaging group assignments, guest lecturers and internships.

All interested candidates can find more information as well as apply for the Scholarships and Awards online at www.dct.ac.ae. DCT will be conducting Open Days every Saturday from 25, July – 12, September, where potential students can meet with representatives one-on-one to discuss study options and take a tour of the college. Slots for Open Days are available from 3-5pm and must be booked in advance. To request a time slot, submit via https://form.jotform.me/201882620219452  and a representative from DCT will confirm your appointment time as well as protocols for accessing the college. When the 2020-2021 academic year begins in September, all courses will be held at the state-of-the-art facilities at Dubai College of Tourism with strict adherence to all health and safety protocols and adherence to all direction provided by the Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA).

News Source: https://mediaoffice.ae/en/news/2020/July/21-07/DCT-Scholarships