GENEVA, May 4, 2023 — Minister of Education Dr. Ahmad Belhoul Al Falasi reaffirmed the importance of human capital for sustainable economic and socio-economic development.
He said that the higher education sector plays a major role in helping students to improve their capabilities, and provide them with the skills and knowledge they need in order to be successful in the present and future job markets. This helps bridge the gap between the information students receive and the needs of employers.
The statement was made at the “Reskilling Revolution – Enabling a Business Imperative”, which was part “The Growth Summit 2023”, organised by the World Economic Forum in Geneva, Switzerland under the theme of Jobs and Opportunity for all on the 2nd and the 3rd of May.
The UAE delegation included Mona Ghanem Al Marri Vice President of UAE Gender Balance Council. They also held bilateral meetings and met Professor Klaus Schwab Founder and Executive Chair of the World Economic Forum in order to discuss ways to enhance the partnership between the UAE Government, and the WEF.
The summit brought together more than 450 WEF members, partners, government officials and civil society representatives, as well as academics, thought-leaders, media leaders and innovators to explore future opportunities and address current challenges by collaborating, foresight, and innovating.
The summit was centered around three main themes: enabling resilience growth by advancing inclusive, sustainable economic growth and trade, investment and productivity, manufacturing and global development; developing human capital by investing in education and skills and health, supporting job creation and living wages and job transitions; and accelerating the economic equity by enabling gender equality and advancing health equity, care and diversity, racial justice, and social equity.
During his presentation, Dr. Al Falasi pointed out that the labour force is evolving at an unprecedented rate, due to technological advances and the creation of new jobs, which require new skills. He urged higher education institutions and students to be prepared to succeed in a rapidly changing job market.
He emphasized the UAE’s education approach, which is based on aligning the higher education institutions to the country’s goals for development by linking students’ skills to the current and future demands of the job market.
Dr. Al Falasi stated that it was crucial to bridge this gap between the educational outputs of students and the labour market demands by creating flexible and proactive education systems that are in step with future technology and jobs. He stressed the importance of educational institutions partnering with employers to develop up-to date educational programmes that teach students what is in demand.
The UAE Minister also suggested that policymakers could encourage universities to prioritize graduate employability through incentives and rules that link a university’s ranking with their success in reaching this goal.
He also noted that the UAE Ministry of Education, in collaboration with its partners, works to enhance the pioneering educational system of the country to support sustainable and comprehensive growth.
The Growth Summit 2023 was centered on bringing new opportunities to people and businesses as the world changes rapidly. The Growth Summit 2023 aimed to improve future economies, workplaces, and societies by promoting collaboration between different stakeholders.
