Technological advancement has taken over certain manual jobs, however some top jobs that can keep today’s students relevant in the future will entail pursuing STEM studies.

Some of these in-demand jobs may be green engineers, drone technicians, information security analysts, software developers, data scientists, operations research analysts, statisticians, and roles in supply chain industries among many others.

University professors and counsellors in the UAE believe that this will be the future.

They say jobs that incorporate the country’s vision for the next 50 years and the values of ‘determination, creativity, and skills’, with an emphasis on education, trade, production, and culture will be considered as the most marketable skills.

According to the US Bureau of Labour Statistics, occupations and wages in STEM and STEM-related fields are expected to increase over the next few years.

Many employers struggle to fill these high-paying jobs, “in part, to low rates of STEM understanding and proficiency".

Chayanka Mohan - Senior Educational Consultant, at Hale Education Group says: “Some in-demand jobs with high paying salaries include, ‘Data Scientists, Network Architects, Software/Web Developers, Aerospace Engineers, Biomedical Engineers, and Information Security Analysts. What is unique about STEM is the ability to engage in experimentation and the development of new innovations through which creativity, team collaboration, and problem-solving skills can be enhanced.”

“Furthermore, international students who opt for an education in STEM in the United States and Canada have an increased chance of immigration due to the nuanced syllabus and qualifications this form of education provides”, adds Mohan.

Universities in the UAE are already incorporating these courses in their curriculum as a part of their future-focused strategies.

BITS Pilani Dubai Campus is planning to introduce master's in civil engineering with specialization in Infrastructure Engineering and Management, Minors in Cybersecurity, Machine Learning, Artificial Intelligence and Supply Chain.

Some of their new collaborations include companies from UAE and India such as, ADNOC, Emirates Group, KSB Middle East FZE, Voltas, Axiom, among many others.

Amsal Muneeb from the Placement Division of BITS Pilani Dubai Campus says: “Considering the UAE job market, the top jobs in this field would be Software Engineers, Data Scientists, Cybersecurity Architect, Cloud Engineer, AI Engineer, Full Stack Developer, Production Engineer, Automation Engineer, Process Engineer, Project Engineer, Electrical Engineers, Biomedical Engineer, Environmental Engineer, among others.”

Experts underline schools and universities are already focused on developing a range of technological, creative, and entrepreneurial skills with their students to prepare them for a world of the future, which is changing exponentially.

Mick Gernon, Managing Director for the Middle East - International Schools Partnership (ISP) says: “Understanding, and not just using, technology is a prerequisite in creating new solutions to global challenges and knowledge-based outcomes. Industry is changing rapidly and will need green engineers to focus on sustainable solutions.”

He adds: “For the UAE, this can range from new jobs in sustainable agriculture, energy, and space technology solutions. With the advent of autonomous vehicles, we will need skilled technicians to build and test, as well as drone technicians who will transform delivery services and security.”

Experts say that “these are jobs of the future", but they will require students to understand and embrace AI and advances in STEM in a much wider context.

Gernon adds: “STEM-based education will need to be adaptive, will need to be able to flex to accommodate advances in technology, and will need to be the central ‘core’ of learning in schools and beyond. Only then will we be able to keep pace with exponential technologies and their power to transform how we live and work.”