There is no doubt that Emiratisation is essential for our country's future, so it is refreshing to read a study that suggests that negative stereotypes about Emiratis in the workplaces are being overcome. As The National reported yesterday, research by the Abu Dhabi University Knowledge Group provides a positive snapshot of the programme so far. But challenges remain.
The most pressing issue is to address the unemployment rate for Emiratis, which has been estimated to be as high as 28 per cent. It is, as the Knowledge Group’s Dr Gene Crozier says, “a dreadful figure”. The good news is that, according to the survey, most companies judge their Emirati graduate employees as being of high quality, and fewer companies are employing people simply to fill a quota.
As this newspaper also reported, the success of Emiratisation should be further boosted by the recent introduction of national service. With military training, young Emiratis will be better equipped emotionally for the challenges of the workplace. The discipline of life in the services and the experience of working with others should prepare recruits for the responsibilities of the workplace. With the variety of jobs within the military, they may even discover talents they did not know they had. For those young people already in the workplace, national service will provide an opportunity to refocus and give them tools to approach their job with a new perspective.
While the survey showed that employers were well disposed towards Emirati job candidates with university degrees, there is a need for more vocational training in high schools and beyond to point non-academically inclined people towards the trades and industries that require specific skill sets, such as retail and hospitality.
Emiratisation is not just about getting people into their first jobs, it’s about staff retention and progression. As Peter Hellyer discussed in his column yesterday, it is important not just to fill quotas and indulge in tokenism just to satisfy the limits of the law. But there may also be some adjustment of culture that needs to take place from both sides. Those who complain of lack of career guidance once in employment may have to adjust their expectations. Similarly, employers should not view Emiratisation as a tax they have to pay to do business here.