Sheikh Sultan opens Sharjah National Career Fair Need to better equip Emirati graduates for changing labour market highlighted
Please click to enlarge the image.
Sharjah:
The UAE is investing heavily in education, leadership training and entrepreneurial programmes to prepare more Emiratis to join the workforce, which is also aimed at helping address the prevailing imbalance where UAE nationals currently occupy less than two per cent of the 2.2 million jobs in the private sector.
Giving a big push to the Emiratisation programme, the 14th edition of National Career Exhibition was inaugurated by His Highness Dr Sheikh Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qassimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah, at Expo Centre Sharjah on Wednesday (February 22).
The inauguration ceremony was attended by Mr. Ahmed Mohammed Al Midfa, Chairman of the Sharjah Chamber of Commerce & Industry (SCCI), Mr. Saif Mohammed Al Midfa, Director-General of Expo Centre Sharjah, Directors of various government departments and representatives of trade associations and banking & financial firms.
“The seriousness with which the UAE is going about in moulding its next generation is apparent in the robust funds allocation for the education sector in the 2012 federal budget. It also lays stress on the need to focus on higher education so as to equip Emirati graduates to take up jobs in the private sector,” said Mr. Ahmed Mohammed Al Midfa.
“Apart from providing better educational opportunities, we believe that there is a need to ensure Emirati graduates are given clear guidance on how to choose the right jobs that suit their skills and aptitudes. We also need to constantly look at the changing job market demands and equip our youth accordingly,” he said.
Continuing the thrust on improving the educational and career-oriented programmes for national youth, the UAE has allocated Dhs 8.2 billion for education, a major chunk of the Dhs 41.8 billion federal budget for 2012. A total of Dhs 4.7 billion will be used to carry out developmental projects, while Dhs 3.5 billion was allocated to the development of higher education, scientific research and scholarships for UAE nationals, in addition to boosting Emiratisation.
“The unemployment rate among nationals is a concern. The percentage of unemployed Emiratis has been staying in double digits for some time. Though the renewed thrust on infrastructure projects is opening up enough job opportunities, often there is a mismatch between the demands of jobs and skills of graduates,” said Mr. Saif Mohammd Al Midfa.
According to recent research, sectors such as construction, aviation, banking, oil & gas, tourism, healthcare and telecommunications are in greater need of specialized staff, while the demand for administrative staff has come down over the years.
“Apart from assessing thousands of employment, training and internship opportunities at participating establishments, the National Career Exhibition will also be a good opportunity for students to gauge the requirements of the market and equip themselves better,” he added.
Thousands of Emirati students and graduates are expected to visit the more than 100 stalls of leading banks, insurance firms, currency exchanges, other financial institutions and government institutions at the National Career Exhibition.
The highlights of the exhibition include a Higher Education Pavilion, stands of the UAE Air Force and Navy and free zones and seminars organized by Sharjah HR Department on Leadership and Management Skills for fresh gradates.
Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank has partnered with the exhibition as the Diamond Sponsor, while Sharjah Islamic Bank, National Bank of Abu Dhabi and Commercial Bank of Dubai are Gold Sponsors. Etisalat is the Official Telecom Sponsor.
The National Career Exhibition is being organised by Expo Centre Sharjah in association with the Sharjah Chamber of Commerce and Industry and Emirates Institute for the Banking and Financial Studies. The exhibition is open from 10am to 8pm during the first two days. Special ladies timings will be from 10am to 2pm on Thursday, 23rd February. On Friday, 24th February, the fair is open from 4pm to 10pm.
Previous story:
RSS Feed
