‘Driving Emirati Youth employment in the private sector essential to achieving UAE’s 50-year vision’

‘Driving Emirati Youth employment in the private sector essential to achieving UAE’s 50-year vision’

Dubai, United Arab Emirates – Following a recent Memorandum of Understanding, Accenture (NYSE: ACN) and the Abdulla Al Ghurair Foundation launched a joint research paper titled ‘The 3 C’s of Bridging the Emirati Employment Gap’. The report sets out the need for a targeted approach and multi-stakeholder partnerships to enhance the skills and employability of Emirati youth in the private sector, a critical component of the UAE’s Centennial Plan 2071.

Local government officials have previously cited the need for more Emiratis to graduate with skills aligned with the job market, specifically science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) competencies, and critical and analytical thinking skills. His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum sees the digital economy as the key to growth and global competitiveness, and the youth are at the center of these ambitions.

The barriers to higher Emirati employment in the private sector cut across various dimensions, including a gap between education and the needs of the job market, as well as cultural perceptions, differences in compensation and benefits across sectors, and other challenges that the report details further.

“Given the UAE’s ambitious plans for the next 50 years, the government, the private sector, and education providers must work together to support