The ‘Vision 2021’, the National Strategy for Innovation launched in 2014 by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the Vice-President and Prime Minister of UAE, aims at stimulating innovation in seven key sectors: renewable energy, transport, education, health, technology, water, and space. The education sector, a key player and catalyst that is responsible for preparing the younger generation to acquire the skills and competencies synchronizing with the industry trends is striving hard to achieve this vision.

Aligning Skillsets Matching with the Market Needs!

Like any other sector, the global educational landscape has undergone significant transformations in light of the global pandemic and the disruptions witnessed by various industrial segments across the world. Recent research on skill gaps prevailing in the region aptly highlights the need for knowledge transfer that is essential to reskill and upskill the employability and job readiness of the youth. This trend is further accelerated with the emergence of Cloud Computing, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Machine Learning, and more advanced technologies occupying the workspace, including 5G connectivity.

The World Economic Forum (WEF) in its ‘Future of Jobs’ Report published in the year 2020 underscores the need for innovation, creativity, and use of technology, in addition to incorporating active learning strategies to prepare young minds to ensure their transition from campus to corporate is very smooth and hassle-free.

Acquiring Targeted Skillsets & Competencies

The educational institutions in the UAE, of late, place greater emphasis on transforming targeted skillsets for learners in tune with the sector-specific requirements, including critical thinking, complex problem-solving, analytical thinking, and reasoning, further laced up with an ability to adapt to the changing global scenario and industry demands. These trends further support catering to the skilled manpower required for knowledge cities and innovation centres coming up in different parts of the UAE. Against this backdrop, the role of vocational and technology-based educational institutions gets a fresh fillip in light of the growing needs for job-related skills, and soft skills in the changing landscape.

Knowledge and Skills are Market-driven!

Educational institutions, of late, have been keenly observing the transformations emerging across different sectors, which are driven by innovation and creativity, and are making strenuous efforts to deliver the required knowledge and skills not only to stay up-to-date in the marketplace but to stimulate growth, provide a greater learner experience for the learners and secure a competitive advantage.

To conclude, igniting and kindling creativity, innovation, and digital skills in young minds with the active engagement of industry partners would go a long way in honing the employability and entrepreneurial skills of the learners! The emerging trends offer plenty of scope in the region, more particularly, in the UAE, today.