Private-sector organisations are working together to boost the number of Emiratis employed in their companies.
Some have launched programmes together and some of the opportunities they are creating will be presented at Careers UAE 2015, the 15th edition of the recruitment, training and education exhibition for Emiratis, today in Dubai.
The event is expected to attract more than 160 exhibitors including multinational companies, academic institutions and UAE-based organisations. This year’s edition is expected to attract more than 18,000 visitors and prospective job applicants.
Only a tiny number of the millions of jobs in the private sector in this country are filled by Emiratis, with the banking sector showing the highest levels of penetration at about 32 per cent, or just under 12,000 people. A concern for Emiratis looking at working in the private sector has been career development.
One initiative aimed at addressing that is the HSBC Leadership Programme, which has been developed in association with Cambridge Judge Business School, University of Cambridge, for high potential Emirati mid-level managers from both the private and public sectors.
Nineteen individuals from companies across the UAE participated in the first batch of the programme that took place this month.
Graduates from the inaugural HSBC Leadership Programme came from several organisations including, DP World, Etisalat, National Bank of Abu Dhabi, Dubai Civil Aviation Authority, Department of Finance – Government of Dubai, Dubai Electricity and Water Authority, flydubai, Etihad Airways, Aldar Properties, Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange, Emirates Global Aluminium and Dubai Duty Free.
HSBC also sent some of its own employees.
They were taught everything from leadership skills to innovation, with particular emphasis on case studies, theoretical learning and discussions with a UAE input to give it relevance to the region.
In the last fiscal year the education sector topped the list of social projects with allocations for public and higher education programmes allocated Dh9.8 billion or 21 per cent of the total federal budget.
Recruitment in the UAE is also picking up pace despite the lower oil prices and projected slowdown in the economy.
The UAE’s online recruitment activity in March was up 17 per cent compared to the level a year ago, after remaining unchanged in February and declining 10 per cent in January, according to the Monster Employment Index released this month.
The banking, financial services and insurance industry was the top growth industry in March with 38 per cent year-on-year growth, followed by IT and telecoms in second place, and health care in third place. Production/manufacturing, automotive and ancillary industry had the steepest annual decline of 25 per cent, followed by consumer goods with an 11 per cent drop, and oil and gas with 1 per cent decline.
dalsaadi@thenational.ae
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