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Transguard, The Digital School and Centre of Excellence for Applied Research and Training Announce MOU to Advance Skills Development and Workforce Readiness
Previously announced as part of a wider effort to equip youth with practical, employment focused skills, the initiative aims to reach and upskill five million learners through scalable digital education. The new agreement formalises a collaborative framework that brings together digital education, academic delivery and real world employment pathways.
The partnership will initially focus on the Facilities, Security and Protection Academy, aligning training outcomes with labour market demand. Under the MOU, TDS will act as the strategic lead for the initiative, CERT will design and deliver the training programmes and manage learner progress, while Transguard will serve as the hiring partner, offering structured on the job training and clear pathways into employment.
Commenting on the agreement, Rabie Atieh, Chief Executive Officer of Transguard Group, said the partnership reinforces the company’s long-standing commitment to workforce development. “Transguard has always invested in creating opportunities that support sustainable employment and long-term skills development. By working closely with The Digital School and CERT, we are helping to shape job ready talent through practical training and structured workplace integration, creating benefits not only for employers but for individuals, families and communities alike”.
“At SkillED Academies, we view education and training as powerful tools for economic empowerment by equipping young people with practical skills that are directly aligned with labour market needs.” said Dr. Waleed Al Ali, Secretary General of The Digital School. “Our partnership with Transguard Group, in collaboration with the Centre of Excellence for Applied Research and Training (CERT), and with the support of the Ataya initiative under the Emirates Red Crescent, represents an integrated model for this vision, enabling 1,000 employment opportunities for our trainees within Transguard Group.”
Mohammed Gheyath, Chief Executive Officer, CERT, added, “This partnership represents a natural extension of the accelerated success achieved by the SkillED Academies initiative and underscores CERT’s leadership role in redefining applied learning models at scale. By leveraging our advanced expertise and strengthening integration across sectors, we are building a comprehensive ecosystem that directly connects training to employment, enabling learners to acquire highly job-ready skills that accelerate their integration into the workforce and align with future demands.”
The collaboration will be supported by continuous feedback and coordination across all three entities to ensure training remains responsive to workforce requirements. With more than 850,000 learners already benefiting from TDS programmes and over 40,000 digital educators trained to date, the partnership builds on a strong foundation of digital education delivery while strengthening links to employment.
The Facilities, Security and Protection Academy marks the first academy delivered under this agreement, with further specialised academies planned as the initiative expands. Together, the partners aim to establish a replicable workforce training model that enhances skills development and improves employment readiness in high demand sectors.
