Before I start writing what special programs / big initiatives / steps UAE Government has taken to equip its youth with the skills required to face the future challenges, let me begin with the words of Jim Yong Kim, Former Group President of World bank:-

“The great challenge is to equip young generation with the skills they’ll need no matter what future jobs look like“

But here I have few queries and questions in my mind?

• What are skills ? How would you define them?
• What can be probable type of skills one must have?
• What are the future skills required for jobs in UAE?
• How these future skills will be developed for jobs in UAE?

Skills are the abilities or competencies that enables a person to perform a particular task efficiently. Skills can be God gifted as well as developed or polished. They define:-

• What a person actually is?
• What he/she is capable of?
• How much he/she is worthy enough to trust for a task?
• How much he/she is capable to produce the desired results?

Skills are of further two broad categories i.e. Hard Skills & Soft Skills

• Hard Skills: Technical abilities or knowledge related to particular field or job industry. Few examples are graphic designing, accounting, project management.

• Soft Skills: These are non technical abilities that are mandatory for success in any job industry or field. Few examples are communication, leadership, time management, team work.

Importance of Future Skills in UAE

Owing to advancement in information & technology, UAE has moved or advanced towards increasingly automated and digitized. To sustain in this, Emirati people are required to develop a group of skills that will keep them relevant in this digitized world too. Keeping in view, UAE Government has taken no of initiatives to instill and develop these future skills in Emirati people.

Initiatives By UAE Government To Develop Future Skills

1. One Million Arab Coders

OMAC is the initiative that is aimed at filling the digital literacy gap to bridge Arab youth with the job market to ensure their readiness for the future challenges and make ready next generation experts. OMAC fulfills this through a digital platform that has training courses for Arab youth around the World.

2. Future Skills Program

Future Skills Program endeavors to put youth on the right path so that they could play critical role in propagating and promoting country’s development. They intend to bridge the skills gap in different sectors and equip the youth with multiple future skills to allow them join the emerging market and make shifts between jobs, companies and sectors with more flexibility.

3. Jahiz

To equip the youth and government talents with skills for the future, a talent development program is launched on name of “Jahiz“. It aims to equip the youth with necessary future skills so as to cope up with the modern technological developments and emerging needs. Jahiz initiative encompasses a journey across four of the most critical skills closely linked to the future of UAE Government. These include:-

• Digital skills.

• Data & AI skills.

• New Economy skills.

• 10X skills.

4. Ibtekr Platform

Mohammed Bin Rashid Centre for Government Innovation (MBRCGI) launched an awareness campaign “Ibtekr” to promote the importance and tools of innovation across the UAE. It aims at encouraging the student to realize the importance of innovation in this modern world and come up with innovative solutions to enhance the efficiency of Government.

5. National Program for Artificial Intelligence

Initiatives by UAE Government in National Program for Artificial Intelligence include following:-

First Bachelor Degree in Artificial Intelligence (AI). Launched by British University in Dubai, it aims to enable students to comprehend natural intelligence through the utilization of computer models and use innovation to designs machines or systems which are capable of intelligent decisions and actions.

UAE AI Internship program. An internship program which endeavors to train Emirati students in AI. 

UAE AI Camp. Designed to empower Emirati students to lead AI and transform it into a strategic power.

6. ACTVET

Abu Dhabi Center for Technical and Vocational Education and Training (ACTVET) organizes the Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) on annual basis that brings together experts, industry representatives, Government leaders, policy makers with the aim to highlight or inform youth of UAE regarding advancement in Technical and Vocational Education & Training and benefits associated with its adoption.

7. ICT Fund

Information and Communication technology (ICT) endeavors to acquire progressive and solid developments within the sector in UAE, particularly aimed at research and innovation, technological ideas, intellectual thoughts and all factors that could lead UAE towards achievement of global success.

8. UAE Hackathon

UAE Government organizes annual nationwide Hackathon which aims to explore advanced solutions and innovative projects to face the rapid evolving changes in the tools of emerging technologies. Residents of UAE who have the ability to innovate and create flexible ideas to design’s UAE future for next generation are free to join this initiative to prove their metal.

9. The Emirates Youth Professional School (EYPS)

To equip the youth / young learners with vocational skills and career development opportunities to get them to join the market, UAE Government launches this initiative every year free of cost to ensure participation by maximum youth.