Labourers to be trained in their home countries before coming to work in the UAE

Arabtec Construction workers at the Damac Heights building in Dubai Marina. Antonie Robertson / The National

ABU DHABI // Labourers are to be trained in their home countries before coming to work in the UAE, under a pilot scheme run by the Ministry of Labour.

The 2,500 subjects will be chosen randomly from Indians, Pakistanis and Filipinos applying for visas to work in the building industry.

Those three nationalities make up a large proportion of the country’s blue-collar workforce.

Saqr Ghobash, Minister of Labour, on Sunday said the pilot project would ensure expatriate workers had the skills needed before they arrived.

“Participants in the project will also be tested during their stay in the country to document additional skills gained in their new workplace,” Mr Ghobash said.

“The project will take about two years to conclude, and through its outcomes and recommendations the ministry will develop employment policies.”

The candidates will be assessed before they begin their training, while working here, and again after two years. The cost will be borne by their employers.

Mr Ghobash said he hoped that in the future all labourers had their experience and qualifications documented to ensure they met the country’s needs.

Dr Thani Al Mehairi, director general of the National Qualifications Authority, said the trained workers would also receive certificates that could help them to find better jobs when they left the UAE.

The home training would be between two and six months, depending on the nature of the job, Dr Al Mehairi said.

There would be different qualifications for different kinds of workers, including electricians, technicians, wielders and masons.

The certificate will be recognised in many countries, he said.

“Workers who spent 10 years in the construction industry don’t have any certificate when they leave but this will benefit them,” Dr Al Mehairi said.

“When employers bring workers from outside they don’t know anything so employers train them, so the training cost will be borne by employer.”

The professional training and testing standards have been developed by Abu Dhabi Quality and Conformity Council and the NQA.

“Documenting labourers’ skills and experiences gained during their employment period in the UAE, will help them get other jobs when they return to their own countries,” said Dr Omar Al Nuaimi, assistant undersecretary for policy and strategy at Ministry of Labour.

Other organisations taking part in the project include the Federal Demographic Council and Zayed University, as well as companies such as Arabtec, Al Habtoor and ATI Asco.

The ministry is also working with Kuwait, which is to implement a similar scheme for blue-collar workers.

The scheme will also be shared with participating countries at the Abu Dhabi Dialogue labour conference in Kuwait on November 27.