Minister stresses youth role in nation’s march
EXPERTS HIGHLIGHT MISMATCH BETWEEN EDUCATION AND LABOUR MARKET EVEN AS THEY EXHORT YOUTH TO ADAPT TO CHANGES
Youth have a responsibility to contribute to the development of the region and look into the use of future technologies for a better future for all, Omar Sultan Al Olama, Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence said in a Sharjah conference yesterday.
Speaking at a session on the second day of the ‘Investing in the Future’ conference in Sharjah, the world’s first minister for AI told a huge audience of youth that they have a big part to play in UAE’s advancement.
“We in the UAE have to foresee the future in order to make UAE better for people. This is the approach adopted by the country’s founders and should be an approach taken by each one of you. We have to make sure UAE will be better place for future generation to live in,” Al Olama said.
Al Olama discussed the importance of foresight, significance of adopting change and the role of youth in this change.
“I always asked myself why the Arab region was living in backwardness although we are a civilisation that has given algorithms and many inventions to the world. Answer was difficult, but the main reason was the lack of adoption of changes and technologies,” he said.
Also speaking during the session was Reem Bin Karam, director of Nama Women Advancement Establishment. She said: “It is only possible to have stability when youth are integrated into the economy and ■ ■ society and are engaged in decision making.”
She also spoke of the launch of the ‘Wathba’ programme aimed at creating a generation of Emirati leaders and innovators. It will select university graduates to be sent for internships to international organisations to acquire new skills and capabilities.
“This programme is important in order to address the increasing mismatch between education outcomes and labour market needs. The labour market is advancing very quickly at a speed that is a lot faster than the development of curricula. This means that training in a real working environment is key to success,” she said.
The session concluded with remarks from Omar Al Bu Saidi, author, entrepreneur and a member of the US and UAE Public Affairs who told youth that one of the important skills of the future is the agility quotient and “that what’s going to be important is how agile, flexible and quick they are to adapt to new changes happening.”