Effective Education for Employment

A Lack Of Strategy And Infrastructure

There is a perception that the governing institutions in the UAE are not delivering an effective, policy-driven programme to help develop appropriately skilled workers. One of the problems that has been identified is their federal approach. For example, Abu Dhabi and Dubai both have their own systems but there is little connection or collaboration between the two. There is some ongoing work at policy level to address the issues but it could take years for this policy to be implemented and for its effects to be felt in business and society.

Too Much Theory, Not Enough Practice

There is a fundamental problem with the ability levels of recent graduates and those entering work for the first time. Regardless of the education they have received, very few are able to apply their knowledge in a live work setting. There are some key areas where this lack of experience is most marked; communication skills are often less than effective, for instance.

Moreover, many graduates do not have a sufficient grasp of English to operate successfully in a business environment, and many find communicating with different nationalities a significant challenge. In addition, many graduates either do not have critical thinking abilities or the confidence to show this skill. They cannot react to situations with positive actions and are much more likely to defer to a senior.

Without significant connection between education programmes and the workplace, these sorts of issues will persist.

Parallel Systems Of Education

Businesses are beginning to take significant responsibility for the long-term education of their employees. Corporations are setting up their own institutes to deliver their own curricula.

There is a strong suggestion that the quality and value of these qualifications is considered higher than the programmes taught in public institutions. However, these institutes are unregulated and the qualifications they offer are not connected to a broader set of quality standards. Larger providers, like Microsoft, may still be able to provide internationally-recognised and valued qualifications but it will be harder for smaller organisations to achieve this.

Finally, there is an obvious issue around access. Private training institutions are not accessible to all, and this means there may be a damaging trend towards parallel education systems. People who cannot access high-quality corporate education are left with the public alternative and may be sidelined for employment opportunities.

Business Goes It Alone

The efforts of business and industry to take responsibility for training the workforce should be applauded. Even if the focus for many companies is restricted to 'educating their own', the net impact on the skills pool is undoubtedly positive. However, it seems that many businesses are operating in isolation - educational content, teaching methods and resources are not shared with 'competitors'.

Education and training are key drivers in developing a competitive edge and promoting staff retention. Having invested heavily in education, why should a corporation spoil its advantage by sharing knowledge and understanding? While there are examples of businesses working together to identify skills needs and develop programmes to meet these needs, businesses are typically keeping things in-house. Without collaboration, sectors will not benefit as a whole.

Identifying The Need

No education system, private or public, can hope to fulfil its role as a provider of job-ready individuals without understanding the society's requirements.

There is a lack of communication between business and education. Businesses do not have many opportunities to inform education policy and to characterise requirements, which increasingly means that they see the education system as inadequate. On one level, this could be seen as a failure of the public structures that support education in the UAE. On another, there is a sense that businesses are not always clear about their own needs.

There are a lack of effective diagnostic tools to help businesses assess the strengths and weaknesses of their current staff. Consequently, businesses are less able to articulate where the skills gaps are. Work needs to be done on both sides in order to improve this.

Developing Quality As Well As Quantity

The rapid growth of the economy and the national propensity to import skilled labour has created huge opportunities in the UAE for education and training providers. In recent years there has been an influx of businesses and organisations at every conceivable level.

It is estimated that there are around a thousand training providers in Dubai alone. Many are small organisations that are focused on selling third-party training content, either via e-learning platforms or direct to businesses. At the other end of the scale, world-renowned universities (for example , the Sorbonne and Oxford) are establishing overseas campuses in the UAE. Seizing the opportunity to tap into a lucrative and ever-growing market, these organisations are filling the void left by an underdeveloped national education infrastructure.

The unregulated nature of further and higher education also makes the UAE an attractive investment opportunity for companies and institutions. But there are problems at both ends of the educational spectrum. The lower end of the market is saturated by small providers that claim to deliver effective and successful programmes but often fail to deliver. Without a clear framework, contracts are often awarded purely on the strength of the sales pitch rather than any demonstrable quality. At the upper end of the scale, the quality of teaching can vary greatly. It is sometimes difficult for universities to attract the best staff, for instance.

This reflects a wider issue. There is a sense that the general quality of teachers and trainers is very low. Without effective and inspirational teachers who are schooled in modern techniques, the value of any educational content is severely diminished.

Improving The Perception Of Professional Education

There seems to be a tendency for learners and employees to see their education as a way of accumulating certificates rather than gaining knowledge, skills and behaviours. It is more important for someone to prove that they have passed an exam than show they can do the job, even though employers would prefer the latter.

This mind-set is reflected in the perception of professional education against academic study. In spite of what businesses say they want, and in spite of the fact that learners want to secure a good job, candidates typically believe that academic study represents the most valuable and valued route into work.

As in many other places across the world, the value of academic study in the UAE is increasingly questionable. Greater numbers enter higher education and complete studies to degree level, while skills shortages are not being addressed. For many employers, a short job-specific training course can be a quicker passport to employment than three years of academic study.

Developing A Workforce Closer To Home

The need for the UAE to develop its own skilled workforce is now undeniable. The countries that the UAE has traditionally targeted for overseas recruitment (for example, India) is now a booming economy itself. Rising living costs are also causing these talent pools to dry up.

Native Emiratis currently have a relatively low skill level. This is not surprising - they have not been required to work to maintain a reasonable standard of living, and the skilled workforce has been dominated by imported talent.

Qualities Valued By Employers In The UAE

• Self-awareness
• A high level of emotional intelligence
• The ability to do the job they are employed to do
• The ability to communicate knowledge
• The ability to manage well
• Commitment
• Personal accountability
• The willingness to take ownership of the business
• Discipline in terms of delivery
• The ability to learn