DUBAI- The Future Skills programme, launched by the Government Development and the Future Office in partnership with LinkedIn, saw wide-scale participation from Emirati female undergraduates, exceeding expectations. The programme attracted more than 2,500 female students, and is currently expanding to include Emirati male undergraduates.
The programme covers 10 educational curriculums focusing on vital skills needed to join the most demanded future jobs, including project management, customer service, software development, information technology, digital marketing, data analysis, financial analysis, graphic design, customer journey experts, IT administration.
The curriculums also include 117 total courses, scheduled to be completed by the end of 2021. Within two months of launching the program, 800 participants completed 45 courses within five educational curriculums. The curriculums further introduced workshops tackling various fields related to future skills.
Ohood bint Khalfan Al Roumi, Minister of State for Government Development and the Future, said that the unprecedented rate of female applicants in the programme, which exceeded the initial target number, catalysed its expansion to include Emirati young men. The aim of the program is to upskill young Emirati talents and empower them to compete for future jobs.
Al Roumi added that the vast participation in the Future Skills programme highlights the eagerness of Emirati youth to enhance their skills and raise their awareness on the importance of continuously improving their readiness for the future. She hailed the persistent interaction of Emirati youth with the programme to actively participate in the UAE’s march over the next fifty years.
She indicated that the programme seeks to attract the best young minds, raise awareness among the next generation on the importance of future skills in self-development both at personal and professional levels.
This approach aims to enhance youth’s participation in the efforts to build the future of the UAE, in line with the 'Principles of the 50', which focuses on investing in human capital as the main driver for future growth and development. The 10 principles pinpoint the importance of attracting and investing in innovative national talents, and continuously providing them with future skills and experiences.
On his part, Ali Matar, Head of LinkedIn EMEA Venture Markets, Middle East and Africa, said, "Our data confirms that, as we have been observing for several years, there is a significant acceleration in the pace of development in the digital and technological sectors, entailing a growing demand for skilled talent all around the world.
In the UAE, digital and technology-related jobs account for 73 percent of emerging jobs pre-COVID-19, from 2015 to 2019. This is where LinkedIn steps in to form partnerships with governments keen on enhancing future skills, digital and soft, as a priority, given their fundamental role in boosting development."
© Copyright Emirates News Agency (WAM) 2021.
