Dubai: Emiratisation is a government programme launched in 2000 to increase the employment of Emiratis in the public and private sectors.
Emiratisation concentrates on a number of policies that enable Emiratis to skilfully occupy jobs. The actual process of emiratisation has been actively pursued by the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs.
Tanmia
The Emiratisation programme is supervised by the National Human Resources Development and Employment Authority, also known as Tanmia.
The federal government authority is tasked with creating job opportunities for the UAE national workforce, reducing the unemployment ratio among Emiratis, enhancing the skills and productivity of the national workforce and recommending relevant policies to the Government.
Studies conducted by Tanmia revealed that only seven of 47 banks operating in the UAE had accomplished their emiratisation target of 4 per cent; that more than 19 banks registered a gap of over 10 per cent between the targeted and realised levels; and the overall emiratisation percentage in the sector was 27.6 per cent.
In the insurance sector, just one in 46 operating firms achieved the target of 5 per cent, and nationals accounted for only 5.3 per cent of the sector's overall workforce in 2004.
Jobseekers
In 1998, it was estimated that 1,000 Emiratis seeking work were registered with the ministry, of which 80 per cent comprised women. Previously, Emirati graduates have shown a reluctance to enter private sector employment.
This was borne out by a recent study entitled ‘Attitudes to the Private Sector' which reflected that 96.5 per cent of students at the Abu Dhabi Women's Higher College of Technology preferred to work after graduation, 48 per cent said they would like to work in the government sector and just 11.5 per cent showed an interest in the private sector.
Extensive efforts
The Abu Dhabi Tawteen Council is dedicated to offering UAE nationals quality work opportunities.
The council offers employment subsidies, vocational training programmes, job seeker assessment, and job matching programmes by prioritising Emiratis.
The council also assists companies in the capital in order to strengthen their business with valuable national talent and works to maintain a stable job market in the Emirate.
According to a recent study, Emiratis working in the private sector presently comprise only 0.3 per cent of the total workforce and the reason attributed is the low salaries.
However, according to a study held by ‘Tawteen' during 2009, there are more than 4,000 Emiratis ready to join the sector.
The Cabinet has instructed the Federal Human Resources Authority to draft an integral plan for emiratisation on the basis of a study submitted by the authority.
