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28 March 2024

Are UAE schools making students employable?

Published
By Shuchita Kapur

Students should be prepared for the job market early on during the school years rather than leaving it for later stages during their stint in higher degree colleges and universities.

Academics being of prime importance, schools in the country should also take into account employable skills. Students should be equipped with such skills so they are better prepared for the job market later in life.

As per the International Education Practice, Parthenon, experts on education, school systems in the Gulf region need to start equipping students with employable skills at grade eight, much earlier than thought, in order for them to have better chances of entering and succeeding in the workplace.

According to educators, employability skills are usually seen as covering eight core skill areas. These include, initiative, teamwork, communication, using technology, solving problems and using initiative, being able to self-manage, learning for life, planning and organising.

In a survey conducted by Parthenon among 100 employers in the UAE, many think students have insufficient employable skills.

“This can be addressed by advancing the job preparation stage earlier towards the school system. At the age of 16, students need to be given a broader range of choices on what careers they would like to pursue because this will affect their choice of which courses to take at the university level,” said Ashwin Assomull, Partner, Parthenon.

According to the findings of Parthenon, today’s employers look for employable traits such as appropriate subject knowledge, being able to work with teams, strong communication skills especially in English, understanding of technology and its uses, and the ability to adapt in a cross-cultural working environment.

A recent research published by the British Council in partnership with Booz Allen Hamilton and Ipsos Public Affairs, reveals that intercultural skills and good communications skills are an area where employees need to work on. The survey highlights that this is a more pressing human resources issue for employers than finding candidates with the right formal qualifications.  A big number of employers (71 per cent) believe that UAE educators could do more to develop good communications skills in employees of the future, revealed a survey conducted by them.

As per a recent release by Bayt.com, employers in the country lay emphasis on finding candidates with good communication skills, ability to be a cooperative, helpful and being having the flexibility to be team player, and having good leadership skills.

Good communication skills in English and Arabic are most desirable by employers, though being a cooperative, helpful and flexible team player is also considered highly.

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