Got a job? Think big with higher studies

A GROWING TREND IN THE UAE SEES THE EMPLOYED SIGNING UP FOR MORE STUDY TIME TO BETTER THEIR PROSPECTS, WITH EMPLOYERS, UNIVERSITIES AIDING THEM

T hey have an attractive job with a handsome salary; if they wish, they could continue this way. But they prefer a more challenging route — one that takes them towards study time, exams and the pursuit of an accredited higher educational degree.

The trend of employed adults taking up studies to better their career pursuits is catching on in the UAE. The defining aspect of their ambition is the need to walk the extra mile even though nothing in their circumstances compels them to get out of their comfort zone.

This ambition also comes at a social cost at times. For Nagham Hadi, based in Abu Dhabi, her decision to enrol for an MBA, even though she has a bachelor’s degree in pharmacy meant a selfimposed distance from friends and socialising. “I missed my friends. It was tough. I slept just three hours during exams but the hard work paid off,” said Hadi.

For other students such as Aprille Batino-Falla, 34, Filipina, the goal is more challenging — because she is also pregnant. A risk analyst with a private firm in the capital, Batino-Falla is doing her MSc in Project Management from University of Alford, Manchester UK. “It is really tough. I am actually working in Ruwais during the weekdays so the travel and work stress alone, plus being pregnant, is more than enough to make me just want to rest during the weekends,” said Batino-Falla.

What prompts these aspirants to aim higher? How do these individuals, already employed, balance work and studies? Do their employers take note of their quest for advancement?

According to universities in the UAE, many postgraduate students are also pursuing a career. The number of students enrolled in master’s programmes is growing by 10 to 15 per cent each year, an educational consultant told Gulf News.

Also, many employers in the UAE have established mechanisms to support such motivated employees.

Gulf News spoke to working students, universities, employers and experts to understand how this balance is being achieved.