70% of Emiratis seek govt jobs, finds study

Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, UAE Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, who is also the chairman of The Education and Human Resources Council, said the council surveyed 2,200 Emiratis between 17-25 years old, which showed that 10 per cent of Emiratis work in the private sector and 14 per cent aim to establish their own business, while 70 per cent aim to stay in their government jobs. About 39 per cent of people interviewed predicted they will hold their administerial positions in the next 10 years, while 55 per cent said they expect to continue in the same line of work over the next 10 years.

“Today, we are at crossroads,” he said, explaining the four elements the council will focus on in the next phase of education.

The council will primarily focus on strengthening early education. Secondly, general education will be developed to increase student competition globally and specialised entities will unify criteria need for schools to achieve the desired academic results. The council will start rewarding schools whose students achieved the best scores. Third, a new national strategy for higher education will be established and lastly, the council will launch initiatives that encourage lifelong learning process to develop skills through advanced sciences which will complement the career direction.

“We will activate our partnership with the private sector to develop university curricula that will respond to demands of the workplace and provide opportunities in the private sector,” said Sheikh Abdullah, adding that 66 per cent of students in federal universities completed their summer training in government entities.