A study by Bloomberg in 2018 found that 65% of corporates and 56% of academic institutions believed that graduates were ill-prepared in some way when they left University. Globally, universities are implementing new policies to try to close this gap.
The leadership in the UAE have been very clear about the importance of education. It is one of four pillars in the Centennial Plan 2071, and ensuring that the education sector keeps pace with the changing workplace, was a key motivation for the ambitious changes announced by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid at the Ministry of Education earlier this year.
The good news for Zayed University students is that the demand from the private sector is greater than ever. For companies seeking to meet Emiratisation targets, it is a race to attract the best quality students.
Unood Mohammed, Human Resources Supervisor for Emiratization at Zurich International Life Limited, exhibited at Zayed University’s recent Career Fair and had a simple message for the students: “Join the private sector, because the growth possibilities and development paths are far greater than those in the public sector".
At this year’s Zayed University career fair more than 100 private sector employers attended, which was a record number.
Within Zayed University this collaboration with the private sector cuts across all activities. Recent agreements with leading technology companies such as Etisalat and Cisco included a commitment to provide students with the opportunity to be involved in internship programs.
Both Etisalat and Cisco also join a list of more than 70 entities which have signed up for Zayed University’s Partner Challenge program, a new mandatory program which sees students work on projects set by a mentor from the private sector, as early as their first semester.
No comments:
Post a Comment