Study suggests ways to develop human resources

There had been no serious attempts to draw clear strategies and classify priorities to develop human resources in the UAE according to a study prepared by the UN Economic and Social Committee for Western Asia.

Lack of coordinated action between the federal and local departments has worsened the situation, the study added. The way ahead is very foggy and the results of the current strategies are not clear, it warned.

The study said that one of the major hurdles in the way of drawing a strategy is the demographic imbalance, adding that the demography is one of the major challenges facing the country and the future of the development of national manpower.

The study said most of the investment projects have conducted their feasibility studies on the basis of cheap manpower, hence exluding the UAE nationals in these projects.

What makes a bad situation even worse is the lack of coordination between departments. The study called for the setting up of a federal authority to follow up on the country's policies and create the necessary coordination between the federal and local departments.

It also said that strict control should be imposed on the entry of expatriates and their flow should be restricted. The authorities should ensure that the newcomers are very qualified and skilled.

The study said the UAE's response to the interior and external challenges was late, which has prevented a careful evaluation of the country's experiment.

It called on the authorities to work hard to qualify nationals and enable them to gain the best skills in the shortest time as a condition to totally implement the emiratisation policy.

It said the government should ensure that nationals are well qualified which otherwise would mean they will not get the best job opportunities in the market.

It added that the authorities may not be able to help the nationals dominate their own markets if they do not help themselves and get proper training and qualifications.

The study called on the UAE society to overcome some traditional barriers which stand in the way of women. They should be given a chance to prove themselves in the market.

About unemployed national graduates, it said that there is a gap between what the nationals have gained during their academic years and the requirements of the markets.

The study attributed the problem to "technological unemployment" where the national graduates do not have the necessary knowledge of technology.

Nationals should get more involved with the private sector which is more into technology, and both the public and private sectors should invest more in the technological training of nationals.

The study stressed that nationals must stop their dependence on the public sector, and look carefully to the private sector which must play a more active role in teaching and training them.

It said most of the private establishments were small businesses which do not need qualified and well trained employees, and so have been importing large number of expatriates, and that has been making the situation worse as they have been affecting economic and social standards.

Key factors that impede progress:
* One of the major hurdles in the way of drawing a strategy is the demographic imbalance in the UAE which is impeding the development of national human resources.

* Feasibility studies conducted by companies hinge on cheap manpower, hence the UAE nationals find themselves out of these projects.

* Absence of coordination between departments has worsened the situation.

* Call to set up a federal authority to follow up on the policies and create the necessary coordination between departments.

* Strict control must be imposed on the entry of expatriates and their flow should be restricted. The authorities should ensure that the newcomers are very qualified and skilled.

* UAE authorities must work hard to qualify nationals and enable them to gain the best skills in the shortest time. This is an inevitable condition to implement the emiratisation policy.