A recent study by the Abu Dhabi Education Council (Adec) and the UAE Ministry of Higher Education makes for interesting reading and confirms that the education system is putting more Emirati graduates on the right career paths. Sixty-five per cent of Emirati and expatriate graduates found employment in 2015, up from 61 per cent the year before. More specifically, 92 per cent of Emirati graduates found jobs this year, compared to 87 per cent last year.
Significantly, the balance between Emiratis taking up work with government departments or in the private sector was essentially equal — 51 per cent to 49 per cent. Clearly, these figures show that the principle of Emiratisation — getting more Emiratis to work in the private sector — is taking root.
The challenge for education officials is to ensure that the programmes and courses taught both at the second and third-level colleges and institutions is finely tuned to meet changing trends and needs in the workplace. That is key to maintaining the UAE’s progress and its economic diversification.
