Final nqa report employment decisions fdc project

A project funded by the:
EMPLOYMENT DECISIONS
Empowering students and employers to make employment decisions
that help to drive a competitive and sustainable workforce in the UAE

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The National Qualifications Authority (NQA) was established in 2010 to coordinate with related
entities the establishment and implementation of an internationally-recognised education
and training system for the UAE, which includes a national qualifications framework. This
framework (known as the QFEmirates) is a singular integrated structure covering qualifications
for general education (G12), vocational education, higher education, work-based training,
and professional education and training. The Authority is also leading the development of
quality assurance processes for higher, general and vocational training. These roles aim to
deliver outcomes that assist the UAE to keep pace with scientific and technological progress
and meet the country’s economic and social development needs. For further information
about the NQA, go to www.nqa.gov.ae.
The National Qualifications Authority (NQA) acknowledges the important contribution of
students, employers and industry representatives who participated in this project and the
funding support from the Federal Demographic Council.
No part of this report may be adapted or modified, in any form or medium, whether by
electronic transmission or otherwise, without the prior written consent of the National
Qualifications Authority. While all care has been taken in preparing this report, the Authority
disclaims any liability for any damage from the use of the material contained in this
publication and will not be responsible for any loss, howsoever arising from use, of or reliance
on this material.
Refer all correspondence to:
Research and Development Department
National Qualifications Authority
Email: sandra.haukka@nqa.gov.ae
Phone: +971 (0)2 815 6622
Address: P.O. Box 63003, Abu Dhabi, UAE
Web: www.nqa.gov.ae
© National Qualifications Authority (NQA)
March 2013
Front cover photo by iTami http://www.flickr.com/photos/tamyo0/6779439014/sizes/l/in/photostream/

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Table of contents
1. Extended executive summary 5
1.1 Project purpose 5
1.2 Project approach 6
1.3 Key findings from literature review 7
1.4 Key findings from employer data 8
1.5 Key findings from secondary school data 9
1.6 Key findings from higher education data 11
1.7 Main implications 12
1.8 Further research 16
1.9 Chapter summary 20
2. Project background 21
2.1 A world-class education and training system for the UAE 21
2.2 Challenges to building a highly skilled workforce 22
2.3 A national qualifications framework for the UAE 23
2.4 Qualifications Framework for the Emirates Handbook 25
2.5 Project purpose 25
3. Project approach 27
3.1 Phases and activities 27
3.2 Literature review 28
3.3 Analytical framework 28
3.4 Data collection 28
3.5 Sampling 29
3.6 Ethics requirements 31
3.7 Data analysis 31
3.8 Limitations 32
3.9 Employer guide 32
4. Literature review 35
4.1 Employment indicators and trends 35
4.2 Education pathways and challenges 40
4.3 Qualifications frameworks worldwide 46

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5. Perspectives of employers 51
5.1 Survey participants 51
5.2 Jobs and employability indicators of the QFEmirates 53
5.3 CoreLife Skills 59
5.4 Recruitment of graduates 62
5.5 Hiring intentions of employers 70
5.6 Organisational factors 73
5.7 General comments 75
6. Perspectives of secondary school students 79
6.2 Study decisions and intentions 80
6.3 Careers advice 92
6.4 Preferred job and industry sector of employment 98
7. Perspectives of higher education students 107
7.2 Study decisions and intentions 109
7.3 Preparation for study 113
7.4 Careers advice 117
7.5 Preferred job and industry sector of employment 123
7.7 Chapter messages 132
8. Implications and further research 135
8.1 Introduction 135
8.2 Qualifications and jobs 136
8.3 Importance of vocational education and training 139
8.4 Career aspirations of students 143
8.6 Employer recruitment practices and hiring intentions 152
8.7 Occupational information guide for employers 157
8.8 Further research 160
9. Appendices 165

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Chapter 1: Extended executive summary
To build a highly skilled workforce, the UAE
must have a world-class education and
training system that understands the needs
of the labour market.
1. Extended executive summary
This chapter summarises the project’s background, approach,
key findings, implications and ideas for further research
presented in different chapters of this report.
1.1 PROJECT PURPOSE
The UAE increasingly requires a highly skilled, qualified and adaptable workforce to secure the
international and regional competitiveness of the UAE economy. To build such a workforce
the UAE needs a world-class responsive education and training system and a supporting
national qualifications framework that
improves the quality of qualifications
awarded in the country. The system should
create harmony between itself and the
requirements of the labour market.
The origin of this project arose from the work underway from 2007 to 2011 to develop a unique
national qualifications framework for the UAE based on the knowledge of a strong
international trend towards the development and use of qualifications frameworks. The
culmination of this work came when the Board of the National Qualifications Authority (NQA)
approved the Qualifications Framework for the Emirates Handbook on 20 February 2012. This
Handbook sets out a 10-level national qualifications framework for the UAE, known as the
QFEmirates. The Framework is a singular, coherent and integrated qualifications framework
covering the higher education, vocational education and training (VET) and general
education sectors. It signifies a new order in the way qualifications are developed, approved
and aligned to employment.
The Qualifications Framework for the Emirates Handbook provides “detailed information
about the architecture of qualifications in the UAE and also defines the requirements that will
enable UAE qualifications to be compared with and valued alongside foreign qualifications”
(NQA, 2012)1. This public national document formally articulates the relationship between a
qualification and an occupational requirement. Due to the highly technical nature of the
Handbook and to give credence to the QFEmirates, the Federal Demographic Council (FDC)
commissioned the National Qualifications Authority to undertake a research project that
would:
1 National Qualifications Authority (2012). Qualifications Framework for the Emirates Handbook. Retrieved
November 20, 2012, from http://www.nqa.gov.ae/pdf/QF%20Handbook_v1b_28_Feb_2012.pdf, p. 3

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When recruiting employees, the QFEmirates
Handbook will help employers match their
workplace needs to the qualifications,
knowledge, skills and experience of an
applicant.
 provide employers with real tangible and
concrete information that can help them to
use the Handbook as a resource to recruit
employees with the qualifications,
knowledge, skills and experience that match
their workplace needs and align with the
QFEmirates
 provide students with real tangible and concrete information that can help them to better
prepare for entry into the workforce.
Therefore, this research project has endeavoured to identify:
 the extent to which employers understand the link between qualifications and
occupational requirements of jobs
 the level of awareness among employers and students of the importance of vocational
education and training
 employer and student views on generic (CoreLife) skills i.e. skills that underpin work and the
ability of learners to learn throughout their lives (i.e. lifelong learning)
 employer recruitment practices as well as their hiring intentions over the next two years
 career aspirations of students and the support they need to help them achieve these
aspirations, which includes gaining a good understanding of the UAE labour market in
order to make well-informed study and career decisions
 appropriate content for an occupational information guide for employers in the UAE, which
is a QFEmirates reference document that aims to help employers to match qualifications
with occupational requirements when recruiting employees.
The rest of this chapter summarises the project’s approach (Chapter 3), key findings from the
literature review and employer and student surveys (Chapters 4, 5, 6 and 7), and implications
and ideas for further research (Chapter 8).
1.2 PROJECT APPROACH
 The research project involved three phases undertaken over a 17-month period:
 Phase 1: Project planning, literature review and survey planning
 Phase 2: Sampling strategy, survey design and survey administration
 Phase 3: Final reporting and employer guide
 The literature review focussed on employment indicators and trends in the UAE, education
pathways and challenges, and qualifications frameworks worldwide.
 The analytical framework consists of three integrated elements – research questions and
hypotheses, data collection methods, and data analysis procedures.

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Expected job growth and salary rises may
attract more UAE Nationals to the private
sector and thereby improve the country’s
nationalisation rate.
 A series of research questions sought to find out:
 from employers – their knowledge of job requirements related to the QFEmirates,
recruitment practices, hiring intentions over the next two years, and views about
generic (CoreLife) skills
 from students – their intentions after finishing school (secondary school students only),
study decisions, preparation for study, access to careers advice, career intentions,
knowledge of their preferred job and industry sector of employment, and views about
generic (CoreLife) skills (higher education students only).
 Data collection involved four online surveys – employer survey, secondary school survey,
higher education survey, and industry validation survey. Researchers followed ethics
procedures to collect the data.
 The sampling strategy involved a mix of stratified sampling and convenience sampling.
 Data analysis involved descriptive analysis – frequencies, cross tabulations and the Chi-
square test for independence.
 The main project limitation related to survey returns – insufficient returns from employers
(only 83 returns), insufficient returns from some Emirates (all surveys), and gender
imbalance of returns from secondary school students (males accounted for 86% of returns).
1.3 KEY FINDINGS FROM LITERATURE REVIEW
Key findings emerging from the literature review are as follows:
 The UAE continues to face the employment challenges of a heavy reliance on non-
nationals to meet workforce needs, a large proportion of UAE Nationals working in the
public sector, high rates of unemployment among recent graduates, and low
nationalisation levels in the private
sector. According to GulfTalent.com
(2012), UAE Nationals accounted for 7%
of total private sector employment in
2011 – the second lowest nationalisation
rate in the Gulf region.
 Recruitment and salary data from GulfTalent.com (2012) indicates that the UAE is
continuing to experience increases in job creation and salary rises, GulfTalent.com
predicts that 51% of employers will create new jobs and salaries will rise by 4.9% in 2012.
Dubai’s share of regional recruitment activity is increasing after two years of slowdown.
 Data on hiring expectations of employers who responded to the 2012 Middle East Jobs
Index Survey (JI) was positive, with 72% indicating they would be ‘definitely hiring/probably
hiring’ over the next three (3) months. Employers indicated a preference for:
 Engineering, Business Management and Commerce graduates
 candidates with team skills, communication skills and leadership skills

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UAE’s national qualifications framework, the
QFEmirates, will enhance the international
attractiveness of the skills in the country.
 managers who are able to manage a team as opposed to candidates with very senior
level experience.
 Employers regarded Banking/Finance, Oil, Gas and Petrochemicals and Telecommunications
as the most attractive industries to top talent, and Medical/Health Sciences as the least
attractive industry to top talent.
 There are ongoing concerns about UAE’s education system, in particular the quality of
primary and second education systems not matching international standards; a large
number of students failing to complete high school and make a successful transition to
postsecondary education; and graduates not meeting employers’ standards in a variety
of academic areas. Low performance of students is also evident at the university level.
 Although many of the private schools and most universities offer career guidance to their
students, young people in public schools rely heavily on their families or an interested
teacher. It is not known to what extent the establishment of the National Human Resources
Development and Employment Authority (Tanmia) in 1999 has addressed the lack and/or
quality of career guidance in public schools.
 Many countries have introduced or are
developing national qualifications
frameworks as a lead mechanism to reform
their education and training systems and
enhance international attractiveness of available skills in their country. The UAE has
established a 10-level national qualifications framework known as the QFEmirates - a
singular, coherent and integrated qualifications framework covering the higher education,
vocational education and training (VET) and general education sectors.
1.4 KEY FINDINGS FROM EMPLOYER DATA
Key findings emerging from the analysis of employer data are as follows:
 There were variations in participants’ level of understanding of qualification, knowledge,
skills and experience (KSE) requirements associated with particular jobs, which have
affected their level of understanding of the employability indicators in the QFEmirates.
Most participants had a good level of understanding of function verbs associated with
particular jobs.
 In terms of qualifications, participants generally had a good understanding of occupations
at the para-professional level and above that require a qualification at Diploma/Associate
degree level and above. They had a lower level of understanding of occupations that
require a qualification at Certificate 4 level or below.
 Participants indicated all CoreLife Skills were important to their organisation, particularly
teamwork skills, communication skills, and initiating and organising skills. They were
generally satisfied with graduates’ level of CoreLife Skills, particularly graduates’ ICT skills
and teamwork skills. However, participants were least satisfied with graduates’ initiating
and organising skills.

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When recruiting graduates, employers
overwhelming want graduates with a
Bachelor degree or higher.
 When recruiting graduates, participants placed particular importance on graduates
having formal qualifications (72% of all participants), work experience (59%) and CoreLife
Skills (57%).
 Participants preferred graduates with
Bachelor degree qualifications (81%),
perhaps as a way to filter applicants.
Participants were more likely to indicate
that post-graduate qualifications (Masters degree and Graduate Diploma) were more
relevant than qualifications at the Diploma/Associate degree level or lower, particularly
Certificate qualifications.
 Participants indicated their organisations use a range of methods to recruit graduates, in
particular advertising positions on their website (67% of all participants), word of mouth
(57%) and through educational institutions (53%).
 There is a need for greater promotional and brand awareness of Tanmia given that 40% of
participants indicated they were not aware of Tanmia or unsure of the Authority’s
existence.
 Growth prospects of employment numbers over the next two years are highly positive, with
82% of participants indicating their organisation is likely to have more employees in two
years time. Participants identified engineering and industrial occupations as occupations in
highest demand followed by account executives, business development, administration,
analysts and accounting professions.
 Larger organisations and in particular, public sector and government related entities
(GREs), are better equipped to effect significant changes and implement initiatives than
small to medium sized organisations. As frontline bodies, they can help smaller players to
adopt changes and initiatives progressively. The roll-out and take up of the QFEmirates
could be hastened and best achieved via these bodies.
 As part of the survey, employers were able to express additional thoughts. Common
themes were the importance of improving graduate motivation, work ethic, proactiveness
and ‘here to learn’ character, and strengthening ties between institutions and employers.
 Overall, members of the industry expert group validated findings and observations presented
in this section, although one member was rightly concerned about sample size (83 returns
from employers).
1.5 KEY FINDINGS FROM SECONDARY SCHOOL DATA
Key findings emerging from the analysis of secondary school data are as follows:
 Almost three-quarters (73%) of students intend to study at a university or college
immediately after completing school, indicating that the higher education sector is facing
increasing pressure to absorb increasing numbers of both male and female students.
However, only 4% of students intend to study at a vocational institute and 12% intend to
find a job after they finish school.

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Many secondary school students have
unrealistic salary expectations – 60% would
only take a job if they were paid a monthly
salary of AED 20,000 or over.
 Survey results indicate a strong interest in pursuing education in Engineering and
Engineering Trades due largely to the significant number of responses from male students.
To a lesser extent, students were interested in the fields of Business and Administration,
Computing/IT, Social Services, Architecture and Health. The survey found a lack of interest
in the important fields of Education and Manufacturing.
 Gender remains a significant factor in determining Emirati intentions for fields for study. For
example, males prefer the field of Engineering and Engineering Trades and females prefer
the field of Health.
 As well as the industry sector of Energy Resources, students indicated a preference to work
in the sectors of Government Services and Public Administration, Business, Administration
and Financial Services, and Building and Construction. There was significantly less interest in
the important growth sectors of Manufacturing, Logistics and Transport, Utilities and
Infrastructure, and Tourism.
 Students are heavily output focussed when selecting a course, identifying the most important
factors as the ‘availability of a good job’ followed by ‘salary and conditions’. There were
differences in the importance of other factors by nationality and gender. For example, an
‘opportunity to study overseas later’ was also important to Emirati secondary school students.
 When asked about the likelihood of undertaking a foundation program as part of their
future studies, almost 90% of students indicated ‘yes/unsure’. Many of the students who
expect to undertake a foundation course felt confident in undertaking independent study
and research.
 Non-Emirati students were more confident in undertaking independent study and research
than Emirati students. Surprisingly, many students who indicated Science was important to
their future were more confident than those who did not find this subject important.
 Almost two-thirds of students (64%) have already accessed careers advice and over 70%
indicated they would access careers advice in the future. Students who have already
accessed careers advice were more likely than students who have not accessed careers
advice to access careers advice in the future.
 Many students prefer to access careers advice at careers events/fairs, direct from employers,
by being mentored by someone who is working in a job of interest to them, from careers
advisors at school and through websites. They were less interested in printed materials.
 Although the majority of students indicated their level of knowledge of their preferred job
and industry sector employment was ‘average’, ‘good’ or ‘very good’, other indicators
suggest their knowledge is lower than they
perceive it is:
 Over 30% of students indicated the
(unrealistic) minimum monthly starting salary
of graduates in their preferred field is AED
40,000 and over.
 60% of students were unsure if finding work in their preferred job would be easy or
difficult and a further 28% indicated it would be ‘difficult’ or ‘very difficult’; yet almost
half of the students believe there will be more jobs of interest to them in the future.

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Like secondary school students, the
availability of a good job after graduation
was very important to higher education
students when selecting a course.
 Almost half of the students prefer to work in the public sector and believe the number of
jobs in the public sector would increase; a sector that is unlikely to emerge as a priority
industry sector.
 Governments at the Federal and Emirate level have introduced initiatives designed to
increase students’ awareness and understanding of study and career options in the UAE
labour market. The scope of this project meant it was not able to identify and evaluate
careers services available to secondary students. However, it did find that only 41% of
students had heard of Tanmia.
 The findings about the ineffectiveness of existing careers services in informing students
about the UAE labour market confirms other sources that indicate the urgent need to
improve the availability and quality of career advice/services in UAE schools.
1.6 KEY FINDINGS FROM HIGHER EDUCATION DATA
Key findings emerging from the analysis of higher education data are as follows:
 Three quarters (76%) of students indicated they started their course straight after finishing
school. The factor of the ‘availability of a good job after a graduation’ was the main factor
that influenced students when selecting their course, although there were some variations
in the importance of factors by gender and nationality:
 Male students were more influenced
than female students by the factors of
‘graduate salary and conditions’ and
the ‘opportunity to study overseas
later’.
 Non-Emirati students were more influenced than Emirati students by the factors of
‘family wishes’ and ‘reputation of a particular institution’.
 Emirati students were more influenced than non-Emirati students by the factor of the
‘opportunity to study overseas later’.
 Almost two-thirds of students (66%) indicated they have undertaken a foundation
program, with female students and Emirati students more likely than male students and
non-Emirati students respectively to have undertaken a foundation program. In terms of
the effectiveness of these programs:
 53% of students indicated they ‘agree/highly agree’ with the statement “The
foundation course has prepared me well for the course I am currently studying”.
 15% of students were dissatisfied with the foundation program they had undertaken,
when they indicated they ‘disagree/highly disagree’ with the above statement
 32% of students indicated the foundation program was ‘neither effective or ineffective’
– a proxy for ‘unsure’
 Emirati students were more satisfied than non-Emiratis students with foundation programs.

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31% of higher education students have
never accessed careers advice, 21% of
students were unsure if they would access
advice in the future, and a further 10%
indicated they would not access advice.
 Many students indicated they have already accessed careers advice (60% of higher
education students) and found this advice to be ‘effective/very effective’ in helping them
to select their course (64%) and decide on their preferred future job (60%). Therefore, many
students intend to access careers advice in the future (65%). However:
 31% of higher education students have
never accessed careers advice
 21% of students were ‘unsure’ if they
would access careers advice in the future
and a further 10% indicated they were
‘unlikely/very unlikely’ to do so
 students who have not accessed careers advice were less likely than those who have
accessed careers advice to do so in the future
 51% of students who have accessed careers advice and were dissatisfied with this advice
indicated they were ‘unlikely/highly unlikely’ to access careers advice in the future.
 Higher education students are mainly accessing careers advice from family and friends
and careers advisors at educational institutions. They prefer to access advice from careers
advisors and careers events/fairs and direct from employers/mentors. Similar to secondary
school students, higher education students prefer text-based career materials to be
available online rather than in printed/hard copy format.
 Higher education students are more likely than employers and secondary school students
to have not heard of Tanmia. Only 27% of higher education students have heard of this
important government body that helps Emirati job seekers to find work.
 Similar to the secondary school survey, the higher education survey included questions to
gauge students’ understanding of the UAE labour market, with some responses related to
the effectiveness of careers advice. The analysis found that although 56% of students
indicated their knowledge of their preferred job and industry sector of employment was
‘good/very good’, the findings suggest their level of knowledge is much lower.
 Students perceived their level of CoreLife Skills much higher than employers perceived the
level of CoreLife Skills of graduates.
1.7 MAIN IMPLICATIONS
As already stated, the Federal Demographic Council funded this project largely due to the
highly technical nature of the Qualifications Framework for the Emirates Handbook. The
Handbook should not only benefit individuals and organisations involved in qualifications
development and delivery but it should also empower students and employers to make
employment decisions that help to drive a competitive and sustainable workforce in the UAE.
The implications from this research are summarised in this section of the chapter and
discussed in more detail in Chapter 8.

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The National Qualifications Authority will
facilitate the development of industry-led
national vocational qualifications based on
needs of UAE’s labour market.
1.7.1 Employers’ understanding of the link between qualifications and occupations
The first project purpose was to identify the extent to which employers understand the link
between qualifications and occupational requirements of jobs.
Dedicated infrastructure in the form of respected providers of vocational programs and
government bodies responsible for quality assurance, licensure and program accreditation
are significant steps in building a world-class VET sector for the UAE. The National Qualifications
Authority will lead national efforts by establishing and maintaining standards and regulations
for technical, vocational and professional
education and training. These standards
and regulations must keep pace with
scientific and technological progress and
meet the requirements of economic and
social development.2 The Authority will
facilitate the development of industry-led national vocational qualifications based on labour
market requirements. It will also implement a national qualifications framework that is a
national frame of reference for all qualifications in the UAE, including vocational
qualifications. In time, these efforts will raise employers’ understanding of the nature and
benefits or vocational qualifications.
1.7.2 Employers and students awareness of the importance of VET
The second project purpose was to identify the extent to which employers and students are
aware of the importance of vocational education and training.
The country’s visions for its education and training system, which encompass vocational
education, raise the bar as to the actions and reforms envisaged to improve the quality of
outcomes of technical, vocational and professional education in the UAE. However, findings
presented in this section indicate much work is needed to build the confidence among
employers and individuals of the benefits of vocational programs and occupations. Overtime,
infrastructure developments and awareness raising strategies will help address this issue. What
is missing at this stage is a way to measure the progress of the development of UAE’s VET
sector. Some of the indicators presented in this section are out of date, do not focus
sufficiently on vocational enrolments and outcomes, and do not allow for rigorous
international comparison and rankings. One of the roles of the National Qualifications
Authority is to collect, analyse and provide qualifications-relevant data. The timely collection
of this data will require data-sharing agreements with providers of vocational programs,
licensing and program accreditation bodies, different ministries (such as the Ministry of Higher
Education and Scientific Research) and statistical bodies (such as UAE’s National Bureau of
Statistics and Statistics Centre - Abu Dhabi). It will take some time before the UAE has a
centralised data collection system for VET statistics. What is possible in the near future is the
development of a ‘Pocket Guide’ or similar that consists of existing vocational and related
statistics that are available from the above bodies.
2 National Qualifications Authority (2012). Qualifications Framework Emirates Handbook. Retrieved February 6,
2013, from http://www.nqa.gov.ae/pdf/QF%20Handbook_v1b_28_Feb_2012.pdf, p. 13.

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A national careers strategy for the country
would educate UAE Nationals about critical,
sustainable and attractive jobs in the private
sector.
1.7.3 Career aspirations of students
The third project purpose was to identify the career aspirations of students and the support they
need to help them achieve these aspirations, which includes gaining a good understanding of
the UAE labour market in order to make well-informed study and career decisions.
There is a need to educate and encourage
students (particularly UAE Nationals) about
critical, sustainable and attractive jobs in the
private sector. This must occur as early as
possible in secondary schools so that students
can select a) the right subjects before starting their secondary school certificate; b) select the
right course if they decide to pursue further study; and c) look for the right job after finishing
school or graduating from further study. Therefore, there is a pressing need for a national
careers strategy that links careers services and initiatives together to ensure they are ‘singing
the same song’ when it comes to promoting critical, sustainable and attractive career
opportunities in the UAE. This strategy must consider the challenges facing Emiratisation in the
UAE, in particular how to address young Emiratis’ unrealistic expectations and how to convince
foreign businesses that they have a responsibility to provide Emiratis with proper training and
on-the-job experience. The public sector is also responsible for creating a work culture that
instills in Emirati graduates a work ethic similar to that required in the private sector.
1.7.4 CoreLife Skills
The fourth project purpose was to identify employer and student views on generic (CoreLife)
skills i.e. skills that underpin work and the ability of learners to learn throughout their lives
(lifelong learning).
One way for educational institutions to address the challenge of improving the CoreLife Skills
of students is through their teaching methods and content. The Commission for Academic
Accreditation (CAA) in the UAE has recognised the importance of CoreLife Skills by adopting
the QFEmirates as part of its licensure and accreditation standards. However, improvements
to an individual’s level of CoreLife Skills can take some time as many institutional qualifications
and programs have accreditation periods of four to five years before review. There is a range
of approaches to develop an individual’s CoreLife Skills in vocational programs and
workplaces that do not revolve around accreditation periods. Educational institutions,
employers, individuals and other relevant stakeholders must work together to provide
graduates entering the labour market with the necessary skills to gain and remain in
sustainable employment. Employers should not set their expectations too high by expecting
graduates to be ‘work competent’ rather than ‘work ready’. Individuals must understand the
importance of CoreLife Skills to their current and future employability.

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We must provide students with authentic
workplace learning experiences as well as
recognise the extensive workplace
experience of individuals who have no
formal qualifications.
1.7.5 Employer recruitment practices and hiring intentions
The fifth project purpose was to identify employer recruitment practices as well as their hiring
intentions over the next two years.
It is vital to the future employability of students that they have access to authentic workplace
learning experiences during their study period. Many employers who participated in this
project indicated work experience is a key factor influencing their recruitment decisions.
Participating students expressed a strong desire to interact directly with industry. If designed,
organised, resourced and delivered properly, all parties involved in a work placement benefit:
students by learning new skills, employers by
having a chance to try out potential
employees, and providers by learning about
the latest developments in workplaces.
Many employers also rely on qualifications
when recruiting graduates, confirming the
importance of strong relationships between
educational institutions and employers. Existing employees with extensive work experience but
no formal qualifications will benefit from the country’s decision to establish a national policy
and procedures for the recognition of prior learning. The National Qualifications Authority in
collaboration with stakeholders will facilitate this policy initiative and oversee the
establishment of industry advisory committees. These committees will gather industry
intelligence on future workforce needs and manage the development of national
occupational standards. These efforts will contribute significantly to building the skills of new
and existing workers based on labour market needs.
1.7.6 Occupational information guide for employers
The sixth and final purpose was to identify the appropriate content for an occupational
information guide for employers in the UAE.
The Occupational Information Guide for Employers in the UAE: Mechanisms to aid reliability
and consistency in occupational descriptions in the UAE should help employers to match
qualifications with their occupational requirements when recruiting employees. They can also
use the guide to inform their reskilling and retention practices and increase their awareness of
the importance of supporting infrastructure. Education and training providers and students
can use the guide to educate themselves about the link between qualifications and
occupations. The guide consists of five sections supported by a number of appendices. This
guide is presented as a separate document to this report.

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As part of a national careers strategy, we
need initiatives to increase students’
knowledge of the UAE labour market to help
them make informed study and career
decisions.
1.8 FURTHER RESEARCH
This project identified several opportunities for further research that would explore in more
depth some of the findings generated from this project.
1.8.1 A national careers strategy for the UAE
This project identified a need to improve the matching of employer demand with the supply
of graduates at an educational and training system level. There is also a need for initiatives
that increase students’ knowledge of the UAE labour market in order to help them make
informed study and career decisions.
This project recommends further research in the form of a feasibility study for a UAE national
careers strategy that aligns to the economic visions of the country (e.g. UAE Vision 2021) for
consideration by policy makers. In order to identify the features of a national careers strategy,
the feasibility study would build on findings from this project to find out:
 community awareness of the UAE labour market, importance of careers advice and the
availability of careers services (note: community includes students, parents, educators,
industry, government)
 how to best deliver publicly available and up-to date information about sustainable
careers in the UAE labour market
 the ability of careers advisors in educational institutions to effectively communicate labour
market needs to students
 features of initiatives that would enable students to interact effectively with industry during
their study period e.g. work placements, mentoring programs, industry visits, etc.
 the currency of study programs in light of changing industry needs and trends
 the nature and effectiveness of current employer-to-institution relationships that aim to
enhance the employability outcomes of graduates
 the types of collaborative stakeholder mechanisms that bring together industry,
government, education and training providers, individuals and community stakeholders to
collectively develop and maintain the most current labour market and education and
training system information.

17
To track the progress and performance of
UAE’s VET sector, we must collect, analyse
and publish vocational statistics.
1.8.2 Pocket Guide for vocational statistics
Existing indicators that relate to the progress and performance of UAE’s VET sector are out of
date, do not focus sufficiently on vocational enrolments and outcomes, and do not allow for
rigorous international comparison and rankings. The National Qualifications Authority will assist
in addressing these issues by collecting, analysing and providing qualifications-relevant data
and making this data available to the public.
One approach to presenting this data is
through a Pocket Guide of vocational
information and statistics3 consisting of:
 the nature of vocational qualifications and careers
 the number of vocational qualifications by type, location and industry sector
 the names of education and training providers of vocational qualifications, including
qualifications offered, number of students and location
 student participation as indicated by enrolments and completions by age, gender,
nationality, location and field of study.
Data collected on employers’ use of the VET system to meet their skills needs and views about
their engagement and satisfaction with the VET system4 could form part of the Pocket Guide
and/or be presented in a separate publication. Similar to the Australian approach, collecting this
data would involve surveying a sample of employers randomly selected and stratified by
location (Emirate), industry sector (12 sectors in the UAE) and employer size (small, medium and
large).5
Collecting the above data would involve data-sharing agreements with providers of vocational
programs, licensing and program accreditation bodies, different ministries (such as the Ministry of
Higher Education and Scientific Research) and statistical bodies (such as UAE’s National Bureau
of Statistics and Statistics Centre - Abu Dhabi). Underpinning these data-sharing agreements
could be a national VET Data Management Strategy that covers the areas of:
 data collection, validation and reporting
 data quality, timeliness, transparency and warehousing
 a centralised data system for providers and government bodies, including training users of
the system and minimising the burden on these organisations
 linking reporting to payments/contracts with providers who receive government funding.
3 National Centre for Vocational Education and Training Resource (2011). Pocket guide: issued 2011. Retrieved
10 February, 2013, from http://www.ncver.edu.au/publications/2415.html
4 National Centre for Vocational Education and Training Resource (2011). Employers’ use and views of the VET
syste2011.. Retrieved 10 February, 2013, from http://www.ncver.edu.au/publications/2409.html
system: technical notes. Retrieved 10 February, 2013, from http://www.ncver.edu.au/publications/2409.html

18
Given that 60% of employers considered
work experience important when recruiting
graduates, students must gain exposure to
the workplace during their studies.
1.8.3 Exposure of students to the workplace
Almost 60% of the employers who participated in this study considered work experience an
important factor when recruiting graduates. This project did not investigate the extent to
which most students gain exposure to the workplace during their studies, the range of
programs currently available to students in the
UAE (e.g. internships, apprenticeships,
cadetships) and the effectiveness of these
programs in providing students with authentic
workplace learning experiences that increase
their employability.
A project (linked to the feasibility study just discussed) would explore these areas of inquiry
and recommend fit-for-purpose work placement models for the UAE that enhance learning,
practice and exposure to the workplace during the study period. The study by Smith and
Harris (2000)6 identified specific areas of future research about work placements that this
project could undertake:
 A mapping exercise of work placements
 Experiences of students and workplace mentors during placements – what is it like to be a
student on placement, and what is it like being a workplace mentor for placement
students?
 Power relationships in the workplace and their effects on student learning during work
placements roles and identities in what is labelled in the literature as the ‘tripod’
arrangement (Le-Clercq, 1992) – the student, the provider mentor and the workplace
mentor
 In-depth analysis of the actual learning undertaken by students
 The skills employed by practitioners who arrange and monitor placements
 Relative strengths of alternative models and approaches, such that empirical research can
begin to inform the development of robust theoretical models that can be used cross-
sectorally
 Access and equity issues, such as the availability of placements in particular locations and
industries, and for particular types of students
 The processes involved in managing placements and maintaining host employers
 Assessment during placements, and the issue of recognition of prior learning (RPL)
 A follow-up study of students who have completed placements.
6 Smith, E. & Harris, R. (2000). Review of research: work placements in vocational education and training
courses: evidence from the cross-sectoral literature. Retrieved February 7, 2013, from
http://www.ncver.edu.au/publications/567.html p. 4

19
Two-thirds of higher education students
have undertaken a foundation program.
However, 15% indicated the program was
not effective and another 32% were unsure
if it had prepared them for their studies.
1.8.4 Study decisions of students
This project identified several factors that influence the study decisions of students and found
that these factors vary by gender and nationality. There were also differences between
factors important to secondary students and those important to higher education students.
Further research could explore:
 the actual factors that influence secondary school students at the time of making their
decision about further study (target group: students who have just applied to undertake
further study)
 changes to these factors over the further study period (target group: students in their final
year of study)
 impact of these factors i.e. did students achieve the outcomes they expected such as a
good job after graduation, a job that met their salary expectations, they continued their
studies overseas (target group: graduates)
The research would identify those factors that are more or less likely to lead to an informed
study decision and recommend strategies to enhance students’ ability to make an informed
decision. Before making a study decision, it is critical that students are aware of the fields of
study that are likely to lead to sustainable jobs in the UAE labour market.
1.8.5 Effectiveness of foundation programs
Nearly half (44%) of the secondary school
students indicated they expect to
undertake a foundation program and two-
thirds (66%) of higher education students
indicated they have undertaken a
foundation program as part of their current
studies. In the case of higher education
students, many students were ‘unsure’ if the programs had prepared them well for tertiary
study and some students were dissatisfied with the programs. Many secondary school students
who indicated they are confident in undertaking and research still expect to undertake a
foundation program as part of their further studies.
This project identified several sources that discussed concerns related to foundation
programs, such as the high number of students entering programs because they are ill-
prepared for tertiary study, the financial burden of programs on institutions and students not
getting a second chance if they faced difficult circumstances during their final exams.
This project did not locate any existing research on the effectiveness of foundation programs
from the student perspective. Further research at a national level (rather than at an
institutional level where outcomes of foundation programs are probably measured) would
identify the factors that influence student satisfaction with foundation programs and develop
success indicators for these programs.

20
Many employers and students have not
heard of Tanmia, an important body that
helps Emirati job seekers find work.
1.8.6 Tanmia
This project found that 42% of employers, 57% of secondary school students and 69% of higher
education students who participated in this project were not aware or unsure of the existence
of UAE’s National Human Resource Development and Employment Authority (Tanmia). This is
concerning given that Tanmia commenced operations in November 2000. Tanmia has an
important role in providing:
 Emirati job seekers with access to training,
career guidance and employment
vacancies
 employers with a national website to advertise their vacancies and access CVs of UAE
Nationals. Employers that achieve the employment quota of UAE Nationals are upgraded
to class A status in the Ministry of Labour, which means they are excluded from the need
for a bank guarantee.
One of the functions of Tanmia is “following up and evaluating employment of nationals in the
public and private sectors” (Tanmia, 2003).7 This project recommends further research, in
partnership with Tanmia, that supports this function by:
 assessing employment outcomes of Emiratis
 gauging satisfaction levels of employers and Emiratis who have used Tanmia’s services
 exploring brand awareness of Tanmia
 identifying success indicators for each service
 recommending a strategy to raise awareness of Tanmia and its services.
1.9 CHAPTER SUMMARY
The chapter represents an extended executive summary of the report. It consists of:
 content from the chapter summaries at the end of Chapters 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7
 main points from the five implications sub-sections in Chapter 8
 all content from Section 8.8 Further Research in Chapter 8.
7 Tanmia (2013). About Us. Retrieved January 25, 2013, from http://www.tanmia.ae/Content/aboutUss.aspx

21
Chapter 2: Project background
2. Project background
This chapter describes the background and purpose of this
project.
2.1 A WORLD-CLASS EDUCATION AND TRAINING SYSTEM FOR THE UAE
Over the past 20 years, economies and the organisation of work have witnessed a
fundamental change in which occupations have become more complex and employees'
responsibilities are increasingly linked with competencies than with routine. This change has
necessitated flexibility in labour mobility and productivity. It has also enhanced innovative
capacity of companies to assimilate new production technologies rapidly and adapt
themselves timely to new demands of the market. In response to such a shift, new methods for
occupational analysis and recognition are being deployed to help build a highly skilled,
qualified and adaptable workforce that can operate in a more globally competitive and
constantly changing environment.
To build such a workforce the UAE is working to develop a world-class responsive education
and training system that is:
 both nationally and internationally recognised, and
 supported by a national qualifications framework that improves the quality of qualifications
awarded in the UAE.
To achieve this vision, the UAE along with other countries in the Arab World, must address the
clear gap and disharmony between the requirements of the labour market and the
education and training system. Over some five or so decades, most Arab countries have tried
to incorporate or adapt/adopt different education systems from Europe, the United States,
Australia and New Zealand. However, as the Arab Knowledge Report (2009)8 states, the
education sector in the Arab World still suffers from serious shortcomings. Despite huge
investments to build an education sector for the knowledge economy, this sector continues to
struggle to compete with those of other nations. This is a serious issue given that economic
and social developments of a nation are influenced primarily by its education and training
system. Discussing the inextricable link between economic prosperity of nations and
education, William Becker (1999)9 rightly argues that for education to bear fruits, nations need
to see it as a long term investment for the purpose of development and progress.
8 Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Foundation (2009). Arab Knowledge Report 2009. Towards Productive
Intercommunication for Knowledge. Retrieved December 24, 2012, from
http://www.mbrfoundation.ae/English/Documents/AKR-2009-En/AKR-English.pdf
9 Becker, W. E. (1999). The Role of Education and Training in Economic Development. In D. Davies (Ed.),
Education and the Arab World (pp. 23-50). Abu Dhabi (Reading, UK): ECSSR

22
The United Arab Emirates has placed education and training at the nucleus of all its strategic
planning. It recognises the close relationship that exists between education, vocational
training and socio-economic development. The country is investing heavily in the initial and
continuing education and training of its citizens. Targets have been set to increase
participation rates in education, training and work, particularly for UAE Nationals. In time,
these efforts will inspire learners (the ingredients of a nation’s human capital) to make
informed education, training and career decisions within the context of the economy and
market forces of their country.
2.2 CHALLENGES TO BUILDING A HIGHLY SKILLED WORKFORCE
For the UAE and other countries in a similar situation (Gulf States, for example), there are a
number of challenges to developing an internationally competitive workforce. The country’s
citizens and residents must have the skills and qualifications necessary to work in occupations
typified by new and emerging technologies, materials, systems and workplace environments.
The UAE faces a number of challenges to building a highly skilled workforce.
Current and future UAE workforce needs: With one of the highest GDP per capita in the world,
the UAE has recently focused on growing and diversifying its economy. A foundational lever
for economic growth is the education and training institutions established in the country to
meet the growing demand for a skilled workforce. The UAE is showing some progress in
realising projected occupational demand and Emirati labour supply, occupations and
industry trends, and skills shortages and gaps. Such intelligence provides benchmark
information to build a better understanding of the workforce situation in the different regions
of the country and the key factors involved in renewing and sustaining regional communities.
Participation in education, training and work: Developing and harnessing human capital for
resource productivity and sustainability is a critical determinant for economic growth and
social development. The country needs to understand the practical ways employers and
individuals (particularly UAE Nationals given the Emiratisation agenda) can identify suitable
employment and future career prospects, develop new pathways to transition from the
education setting into the workplace, and build new opportunities to participate in
continuous education and training i.e. lifelong learning.
Workplace learning: Workplace learning has become a prominent issue for employers and
policy makers concerned with the recognition of formal and informal learning taking place
within the organisation structure. The country needs to understand the impact on the
employees’ occupational positioning and status within the organisation; the way
organisations dismantle obstacles to participate in learning; and the opportunities created to
encourage engagement in work place learning in order to further knowledge, skills and
competencies in the workforce.
UAE education and training system: The Federal Cabinet established the National
Qualifications Authority (NQA) in 2010 to coordinate the quality of outcomes of the education
and training system and enhance their relationship with economic development and the
labour market. This critical role involves setting policy requirements that facilitate linkages
between qualifications, occupations, education and training, and careers pathways. The

23
Authority will collaborate with stakeholders to assure the quality, consistency and rigour of
national qualifications. These qualifications must be internationally recognised qualifications
and assist the mobility of learners and workers. The Authority will also introduce measures for
assessing the previously unrecognised skills and knowledge an individual has achieved outside
the formal education and training system. Central to these roles is developing and
implementing an effective national qualifications framework for the UAE.
2.3 A NATIONAL QUALIFICATIONS FRAMEWORK FOR THE UAE
The national qualifications framework for the UAE, known as the QFEmirates, aims to
contribute to higher levels of post-compulsory education by integrating and streamlining the
requirements of individuals, education and training providers and employers. The introduction
of a 10-level framework for the UAE (‎Figure 1) signifies a new order in the way qualifications
are developed, approved, aligned to employment, and nationally and internationally
recognised.
Figure 1 Qualifications Framework for the Emirates (QFEmirates)10
November 20, 2012 from http://www.nqa.gov.ae/pdf/QF%20Handbook_v1b_28_Feb_2012.pdf

24
The QFEmirates is a unified, singular, coherent and integrated qualifications framework. It
encompasses higher education, vocational education and training and schools, identifying
learning outcomes for each level and qualification type. As a reference point for all national
qualifications, the Framework aims to:
 enable mechanisms for UAE’s decision makers to develop relevant strategic educational
and training policies and directions (including prioritising targeted areas) to improve the
country’s economic, social and personal competitiveness as well as standing in the world
 bring ‘national’ order (using common nomenclature and outcomes based criteria) to the
many and varied qualifications on offer being issued across the country by licensed or
unlicensed providers
 aid in developing new recognisable and government endorsed national qualifications
 provide a framework of common language that could be used as a ready guide for both
employers and learners/employees in terms of identifying the level of education required
when advertising for jobs
 serve as a guidance tool to individuals to identify what type of jobs they may be eligible for
and what qualifications they need to apply for these jobs
 lead to more transparent mechanisms that facilitate formal recognition of ‘lifelong’
learning (including formal, non-formal and informal learning) to ensure that all
qualifications support and recognise lifelong learning
 enhance linkages and alignments with other countries to affect international comparisons
leading to improved information for assisting in learner mobility.
The QFEmirates draws on strong international trends towards the development and use of
qualifications frameworks as a mechanism to reform their education and training system and
enhance their international attractiveness and competiveness of available skills. Over 250
countries have in place or are developing a national qualifications framework, including all of
the UK countries, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and Ireland. Most of the EU countries
have developed national frameworks (or are in the process of doing so) to ensure alignment
with ‘meta-frameworks’ that would link national systems of qualifications.
The two meta-frameworks are:
 the European Qualifications Framework (EQF) that provides an ‘interchange’ enabling the
alignment of national qualifications frameworks in Europe
 European Higher Education Area’s Bologna Framework that now forms the basis of a
common understanding of the ‘cycles’ in Higher Education and the qualifications
associated with the cycles.
The establishment of a national qualifications framework for the UAE ensures the country is
well placed to align and compare its qualifications with other national qualifications
frameworks and meta-frameworks.

25
2.4 QUALIFICATIONS FRAMEWORK FOR THE EMIRATES HANDBOOK
The NQA Board approved the QFEmirates in the form of the Qualifications Framework for the
Emirates Handbook on 20 February 2012. For the first time in the UAE, this public national
document formally articulates the relationship between a qualification and an occupational
requirement. It is a national technical document for:
 referencing, developing and evaluating all future recognised and approved qualifications
in the country, including foreign qualifications
 specifying how qualifications are to be integrated and quality assured in the UAE
qualifications framework
 establishing common, stable and unified national definitions and terminologies that can
serve as a guide for both employers and learners/employees in terms of identifying the level
of education required for jobs as well as recognise formally lifelong learning.
However, whilst necessary in its current form, the Handbook is too technocratic and detailed
for some stakeholders to interpret and understand. This was particularly so in relation to the
relationship between qualifications and employment. To some extent, the employability
indicators are too abstract and conceptual and do not provide sufficient concrete
characterisations and examples of occupations or jobs commonly known in the community.
For more information about the employability indicators, go to:
Appendix 1: QFEmirates employability indicators (p. 166)
2.5 PROJECT PURPOSE
Due to the highly technical nature of the Handbook and to give credence to the QFEmirates,
the Federal Demographic Council (FDC) commissioned the National Qualifications Authority to
undertake a research project that would:
 provide employers with real tangible and concrete information that can help them to use
the Handbook as a resource to recruit employees with the qualifications, knowledge, skills
and experience that match their workplace needs and align with the QFEmirates
 provide students with real tangible and concrete information that can help them to better
prepare for entry into the workforce.
Therefore, this research project explores a number of important areas related to the QFEmirates:
 The extent to which employers understand the link between qualifications and
occupational requirements of jobs.
 The level of awareness among employers and students of the importance of vocational
education and training.
 Employer and student views on generic (CoreLife) skills i.e. skills that underpin work and the
ability of learners to learn throughout their lives (lifelong learning).
 Employer recruitment practices as well as their hiring intentions over the next two years.

26
 Career aspirations of students and the support they need to help them achieve these
order to make well-informed study and career decisions.
 Appropriate content for an occupational information guide for employers in the UAE,
which is a QFEmirates reference document that aims to help employers to match
qualifications with occupational requirements when recruiting employees.
To this end, this report presents:
 an extended executive summary (Chapter 1) that draws together key findings from
Chapters 2 to 8
 the background and purpose of this project reported here (Chapter 2)
 the approach used to collect and analyse data from employers, secondary school
students and higher education students (Chapter 3)
 findings from the literature review (Chapter 4), surveys of employers (Chapter 5), secondary
school students (Chapter 6) and higher education students (Chapter 7)
 implications identified by the research together with ideas for further research (Chapter 8).
Through an effective dissemination strategy of the results and discussions presented in this
report, the project ultimately aims to empower students and employers to make employment
decisions that help to drive a competitive and sustainable workforce in the UAE.
The findings from this project as well as from projects that the NQA may undertake in the
future, also aim to inform policy makers responsible for establishing a streamlined,
comprehensive and harmonised education and training system. Such a system will particularly
assist students, employers, and education and training providers to make appropriate choices
that will benefit the nation as a whole.
2.6 CHAPTER SUMMARY
The purpose of this chapter was to discuss the background of this project in terms of the need
to build a world-class education and training system for the UAE and the challenges the
country’s faces in doing so. One significant step the country has taken is the development of
a national qualifications framework, known as the QFEmirates, laid out in the Qualifications
Framework for the Emirates Handbook. Due to the highly technical nature of the Handbook,
the Federal Demographic Council funded the National Quality Authority to explore areas of
research that could help address this issue.

27
Chapter 3: Project approach
3. Project approach
This chapter describes the project’s phases and activities,
including its analytical framework, sampling strategy, and
approach to data collection and analysis, and limitations.
3.1 PHASES AND ACTIVITIES
The project involved three phases undertaken over a 17-month period (‎Table 1):
 Phase 1: Project planning, literature review and survey planning
 Phase 2: Sampling strategy, survey design and survey administration
 Phase 3: Data analysis, final reporting and employer guide
Table 1 Project phases
Phase 1: Project planning, literature review and survey planning
 Prepare project plan
 Undertake a literature review
 Design draft higher education, secondary school and employer surveys
 Submit Phase 1 Progress Report to the FDC
October 2011 to
March 2012
Phase 2: Sampling strategy, survey design and survey administration
 Design sampling strategy
 Finalise surveys and transform into online format
 Administer surveys and follow up as required
 Update literature review
 Submit Phase 2 Progress Report to the FDC
April to
August 2012
Phase 3: Final reporting and employer guide
 Analyse survey data
 Validate findings with industry expert group
 Prepare an employer guide
 Submit the final report and employer guide to FDC
 Present findings to the FDC
August 2012 to
March 2013
Post project
 Disseminate findings to stakeholders
 Distribute the occupational guide to employers
3 months

28
3.2 LITERATURE REVIEW
The literature review presented in Chapter 4 addressed three dominant themes:
 Employment indicators and trends in the UAE
 Education pathways and challenges
 Qualifications frameworks worldwide
3.3 ANALYTICAL FRAMEWORK
The project used an analytical framework consisting of three integrated elements:
 Research questions and, in the case of higher education and secondary school data,
hypotheses and variables for selected research questions. Research questions were
grouped into the following categories:
 Employers’ knowledge of job requirements related to the QFEmirates
 Employers’ recruitment practices and hiring intentions over the next two years
 CoreLife Skills
 Students’ study decisions
 Students’ preparation for study
 Students’ access to careers advice
 Students’ career intentions
 Secondary school students’ intentions after finishing school
 Data collection – higher education survey, secondary school survey, employer survey and
industry validation survey
 Data analysis – descriptive analysis using frequencies, cross tabulations and the chi-square
test of independence.
3.4 DATA COLLECTION
Researchers used Key Survey software to develop four online surveys:
 A 23-question survey for employers designed to find out their views of the relationship
between jobs and qualifications; CoreLife Skills of graduates; their recruitment practices
when employing graduates; and employment intentions over the next two years.
 A 33-question survey for secondary school students (in Arabic and English) also designed to
identify their career aspirations, the support they need to help them achieve these
aspirations, and their knowledge of the UAE labour market.

29
 A 44-question survey for higher education students designed to identify their career
aspirations, the support they need to help them achieve these aspirations, and their
knowledge of the UAE labour market.
 A 12-question industry validation survey for industry representatives designed to find out
the extent to which they ‘agree’ or ‘disagree’ with findings and observations from the
employer survey that were presented in an employer validation report. The aim of this
exercise was to determine if the analysis of the employer survey data was fair, reasonable
and realistic to industry.
Five secondary school students and three employers piloted the secondary school survey and
employer survey respectively. Two university staff members provided feedback about the
higher education survey. As a result, researchers adjusted the design of these surveys. To view
the surveys, go to:
Appendix 2: Employer survey (p. 168)
Appendix 3: Secondary school survey (p. 175)
Appendix 4: Higher education survey (p. 184)
Appendix 5: Industry validation survey (p. 193)
3.5 SAMPLING
The sampling approach set targets of 220 returns for the higher education survey, 960 returns for
the secondary school survey, 343 returns for the employer survey, and at least five (5) returns for
the industry validation survey. Researchers used stratified sampling for the secondary school
survey; a mix of stratified and convenience sampling for the higher education survey; and
convenience sampling for the employer survey and industry validation survey.
3.5.1 Employer survey
For the employer survey, the convenience sampling approach involved using an NQA
employer database and a university employer database to attract employers. Researchers
sought to attract participants from different Emirates and from 12 industry sectors identified by
the National Qualifications Authority. Despite sending follow up emails, only 83 responses were
received – significantly below the number of responses needed for significance testing.
Reasons for this outcome were:
 NQA sending emails to employers in batches rather than as personalised, individual emails
due to the large number of employers in the database (4,000)
 the large number of inactive emails in the NQA employer database, with around 20% of
emails bouncing back.
As most employers in the university’s database were from Dubai and Abu Dhabi, many
participants were from these two Emirates. Despite these limitations, the project attracted
participants from organisations that varied in terms of industry sector, size, sector and type. For
returns by industry sector, go to:
Appendix 6: Survey returns (p. 197)

30
3.5.2 Secondary school survey
The stratified sampling approach was based on type of school (public vs. private), location
(Emirate), gender and grade (10, 11 or 12). Despite the difference in secondary school
enrolments (e.g. 1,460 enrolments in public schools in Umm Al Quwain and 31,731 enrolments
in public schools in Abu Dhabi11), the preferred sample size for each cell for significance
testing was the same at 16 returns.
Researchers set up a database to generate mail merge letters posted to principals at
selected secondary schools. Where possible, follow up emails were sent to principals who did
not respond to the survey. An NQA Arabic-speaking staff member also followed up by calling
several public schools. Although the survey attracted 803 returns instead of the target of 960
returns, the number of returns was sufficient for significance testing.
3.5.3 Higher education survey
The stratified sampling approach was based on size (number of student enrolments), location
(Emirate), gender, program level (Diploma, Higher Diploma, Bachelor and/or above) and field
of study. Despite the difference in higher education enrolments at different institutions (e.g.
ranging from 146 students at Fujairah College to 10,833 students at the University of Sharjah),
the preferred sample size for each cell for significance testing was the same at 20 returns.
For field of study, researchers selected programs that align to different industry sectors. For
example, the Bachelor of Applied Science in Business Administration at Fujairah College (HCT)
aligns to the Business, Administration and Financial Services industry sector and the Aircraft
Maintenance Diploma at Al Ain International Aviation Academy aligns to the Logistics and
Transport industry sector.
To obtain a balance of male respondents and female respondents, researchers selected
programs with a higher proportion of male enrolments (e.g. Higher Diploma in Mechanical
Engineering at Sharjah Institute of Technology) and programs with a higher proportion of
female students (e.g. Bachelor of Science in Nursing at Ras Al Khaimah Medical and Health
Sciences University).
The number of returns (915 students from 19 institutions) was significantly above the target
sample size of 220 students. One reason for this outcome was the American University in Dubai
employs a member of the research team. She was able to access students’ email addresses
at this university and its sister university, the American University of Sharjah. Responses from
these two universities accounted for 40% of all responses. Therefore, researchers also used
convenience sampling to attract students.
11 ADEC Statistical Handbook March 2010; Ministry of Education

31
3.5.4 Industry validation
For the industry validation exercise, researchers used a convenience sampling approach to
attract members to the industry expert group. They invited industry representatives who
indicated in the employer survey an interest in participating further in the project. They also
invited several NQA existing industry contacts to join the group. Five (5) of the 14 members of
the industry expert group completed the industry validation survey. In appreciation for their
significant contribution, four of the five experts agreed to be named in the final report:
 Ms Lisa MacLeod, Transformational Synergies International FZ-LLC
 Dr Marko Savic, ALHOSN University
 Mr Darren McClements, Yahsat
 Dr Leslie Thurogood, Mubadala Development Corporation
3.6 ETHICS REQUIREMENTS
To meet NQA ethics requirements, the letters/emails sent to schools, universities, employers
and members of the industry expert group represented plain language statements.
The higher education survey and secondary school survey did not include questions that
asked students to provide their name or contact details. As a result, their identities were not
disclosed. Given that most of the secondary school students were under 18 years of age,
schools also received an opt-out form to send to parents to complete if they did not want
their child to complete the survey. Researchers had to obtain clearance from the Abu Dhabi
Education Council and the Ajman Education Zone to administer the secondary school survey
in public schools in Abu Dhabi and Ajman respectively.
Only those participants who indicated in the employer survey an interest in participating
further in the project (32 participants) and/or receiving a summary of project findings (60
participants) disclosed their names and contact details. Similarly, it was optional for members
of the industry expert group to provide their names and contact details when completing the
industry validation survey.
3.7 DATA ANALYSIS
The analysis of higher education data and secondary school data involved:
 initial diagnostic screening of items to transform variables to form dichotomous or
trichotomous variables as required for significance testing
 descriptive analysis using frequencies, cross tabulations, and the chi-square test for
independence for significance testing.
Given the number of responses to the employer survey was insufficient for significance testing,
researchers were restricted to descriptive analysis using frequencies to analyse the employer
data.

32
3.8 LIMITATIONS
The main project limitation related to survey returns:
 Higher education survey: The analysis of data by location (Emirate) proved difficult
because of the low returns from Ajman, Fujairah and Umm Al Quwain.
 Secondary school survey: The significantly higher than expected number of returns from
males (86% of returns) due to strong participation by male students from Applied
Technology High Schools, affected the analysis of data by gender to some extent. Only
one student from Umm Al Quwain completed the survey despite researchers eventually
contacting all schools in this Emirate.
 Employer survey: Despite using two large employer databases (NQA database and a
university database) and sending employers a follow up email, employer returns (83
compared to a target of 343) were well below the threshold for significance testing.
3.9 EMPLOYER GUIDE
Findings from employer survey and industry validation survey informed the development of an
occupational information guide for employers in the UAE. The guide is a QFEmirates reference
document that provides employers with validated information that can help them to match
qualifications with occupational requirements when recruiting employees. The employer
guide is a separate document that accompanies this final report.
3.10 CHAPTER SUMMARY
 The research project involved three phases undertaken over a 17-month period:
 Phase 1: Project planning, literature review and survey planning
 Phase 2: Sampling strategy, survey design and survey administration
 Phase 3: Final reporting and employer guide
 The literature review focussed on employment indicators and trends in the UAE, education
pathways and challenges, and qualifications frameworks worldwide.
 The analytical framework consists of three integrated elements – research questions and
hypotheses, data collection methods, and data analysis procedures.
 A series of research questions sought to find out:
 from employers – their knowledge of job requirements related to the QFEmirates,
recruitment practices, hiring intentions over the next two years, and views about
generic (CoreLife) skills
 from students – their intentions after finishing school (secondary school students only),
study decisions, preparation for study, access to careers advice, career intentions,
knowledge of their preferred job and industry sector of employment, and views about
CoreLife Skills (higher education students only).

33
 Data collection involved four online surveys – employer survey, secondary school survey,
higher education survey, and industry validation survey. Researchers followed ethics
procedures to collect the data.
 The sampling strategy involved a mix of stratified sampling and convenience sampling.
 Data analysis involved descriptive analysis – frequencies, cross tabulations and the Chi-
square test for independence.
 The main project limitation related to survey returns – insufficient returns from employers
(only 83 returns), insufficient returns from some Emirates (all surveys), and gender
imbalance of returns from secondary school students (males accounted for 86% of returns).

34
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35
Chapter 4: Literature review
4. Literature review
The chapter presents findings from a literature review that
explored three dominant themes: employment indicators and
trends in the UAE, education pathways and challenges, and
qualifications frameworks worldwide.
4.1 EMPLOYMENT INDICATORS AND TRENDS
Despite clear consensus in national agendas about the importance of employability for
graduates, there remain sizable variances in both outlook and approach to developing
students’ skills.
4.1.1 National human resource challenges
National human resource challenges can be characterised as follows:
1. Heavy reliance on non-nationals to meet workforce needs for skilled and unskilled labour.
2. A large proportion of nationals working in the public sector; indicating the preferential
treatment received in the public sector in comparison to what they receive in the private
sector, such as compensation, working conditions and job security.
3. High rates of unemployment among recent graduates, which may indicate a mismatch
between the skills needed in the labour market and those acquired by young university
graduates. This mismatch has always been attributed to the existing education and
training systems being unable to appropriately prepare students/learners for the changing
needs of the 21st century global economy (International Labour Organization (2009)12;
Keevey, Chakroun and Deij (2011)13; OECD (2007)14.
4.1.2 Recruitment and salary trends
Drawing on a survey of 35,000 professionals and 1,300 companies, a survey of 2,100
executives and HR Managers, interviews with 60 senior executives from the Gulf as well as
relevant reports and other sources, GulfTalent.com produced a report about employment
and salary trends in the Gulf in 2012.15
12 International Labour Organization. Global Employment Trend (2009). Retrieved December 6, 2011, from
http://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/---dgreports/---dcomm/documents/publication/wcms_101461.pdf
13 Keevey, J., B. Chakroun, B. & Deij, A. (2011). Transnational Qualifications Frameworks. The European Training
Foundation. Retrieved December 4, 2011, from
http://www.etf.europa.eu/webatt.nsf/0/720E67F5F1CC3E1DC125791A0038E688/$file/Transnational%20qualificat
ions%20frameworks.pdf
14 Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (2007). Qualifications Systems: Bridges to Lifelong
Learning. Retrieved October 21, 2013, from
http://www.oecd.org/edu/highereducationandadultlearning/qualificationssystemsbridgestolifelonglearning.htm
15 GulfTalent.com (2012). Employment and Salary Trends in the Gulf. Retrieved December 23,, 2012, from
http://www.gulftalent.com/home/Employment-and-Salary-Trends-in-the-Gulf-2012-Report-33.html

36
The report states that the UAE continues to experience increases in job creation and salary
rises. As shown in ‎Figure 2, GulfTalent.com predicts that 51% of employers in the UAE will
create new jobs and salaries will rise by 5.1% in 2012. Dubai’s share of regional recruitment
activity is also expected to increase after two years of slowdown.
In the Gulf region, healthcare and retail continued to experience the largest growth in
employment while real estate experienced the lowest growth.
Figure 2 Gulf job creation and salary rises, actual (2011) and expected (2012)
Job creation (number of employers creating new jobs)
2012 (expected) 2011 (actual)
62%
56%
51%
51%
37%
8%
Salary rises
2012 (expected) 2011 (actual)
5.6%
6.0%
6.5%
4.9%
5.1%
4.5%
Source: GulfTalent.com (2012, pp. 33-34)
42%
51%
65%
68%
73%
77%
Bahrain
UAE
Qatar
Kuwait
Oman
Saudi
Arabia
4.5%
4.9%
5.1%
5.6%
6.2%
6.4%
Bahrain
Kuwait
UAE
Oman
Saudi Arabia
Qatar

37
4.1.3 Policy trends in the UAE
Given the young population and large numbers of graduates entering the job market
annually, creating opportunities for nationals continues to be a top priority across the Gulf
region. In addition to setting minimum levels of Emiratisation, the Federal Government is
rewarding companies in the UAE that achieve higher nationalisation levels by charging them
lower fees to process visas for their expatriate employees (GulfTalent.com, 2010). Additionally,
employers across the Gulf are coming under increasing pressure, not only to limit the number
of expatriates, but also to diversity them in terms of nationality (Al-Ali, 2007)16.
Despite initiatives to encourage Emiratisation in the private sector, data from GulfTalent.com
(2012) indicates the proportion of UAE Nationals employed in the private sector in 2011 is low
at 7% of total private sector employment – the second lowest in the Gulf region (‎Figure 3). To
some extent, this result could be due to the lower proportion of UAE employers indicating
Emiratisation is a key HR challenge (28%) compared to 82% of employers in Oman. However,
17% of companies in the UAE did report an increase in their nationalisation rate during 2011.
Figure 3 Nationalisation rates, 201117
Pressure on employers (1)
Average Nationalisation
rate (2)
Increase in
Nationalisation (3)
14%
10%
20%
5%
7%
1%
36%
59%
17%
27%
17%
15%
(1) Pressure on employers - percentage (%) of employers reporting nationalisation as a key human resource
challenge
(2) Average Nationalisation rate - Nationals employed in the private sector as a percentage (%) of total
private sector employment
(3) Increase in Nationalisation – percentage (%) of companies reporting an increase in their nationalisation
rate during 2011
16 Al-Ali, J. (2008). Emiratisation: Drawing UAE nationals into their surging economy. International Journal of
Sociology and Social Policy. 28(9/10), 365-379.
17 GulfTalent.com (2012). Employment and Salary Trends in the Gulf. Retrieved December 23,, 2012, from
http://www.gulftalent.com/home/Employment-and-Salary-Trends-in-the-Gulf-2012-Report-33.html, p. 12.
17%
28%
38%
54%
78%
82%
Qatar
UAE
Kuwait
Bahrain
Saudi
Arabia
Oman

38
4.1.4 Employers preferences for qualifications and skills
The Middle East Jobs Index Survey (JI)18 gauges perceptions of job availability and hiring,
identifies job trends, and provides an understanding of the key skill sets and qualifications
required in the Middle East job market. Data for the August 2012 Jobs Index was collected
online between the 26th July to the 26th August 2012, attracting 5,999 participants from the
UAE, KSA, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Bahrain, Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Egypt, Morocco, Algeria,
Tunisia and Pakistan (Bayt, JI, 2012). UAE accounted for 10% of all participants.
‎Table 2 presents the following hiring preferences of UAE participants:
 28% of participants indicated their organisation would be ‘definitely hiring’ and 25%
indicated their organisation would be ‘probably hiring’ in the next three (3) months.
 Organisations are on the lookout for Engineering graduates (27% of respondents), Business
Management graduates (22% of respondents) and Commerce graduates (20%).
Participants were least interested in graduates with Law qualifications (3%).
 Key skill sets most sought for in candidates were ‘Team player - Cooperative/helpful/
flexible’ (49%), ‘Good communication skills - Arabic & English’ (48% of respondents) and
‘Good leadership skills’ (47%).
 In terms of experience, respondents were most interested in those with ‘Managerial - ability
to manage a team’ (35%) and least interested in those with ‘Very senior level experience’
(7%).
 Banking/Finance was regarded as the most attractive industry to top talent (34%), followed
by Oil, Gas and Petrochemicals (32%) and Telecommunications (27%). Participants
regarded Medical/Health Sciences as the least attractive industry to top talent (14%).
Table 2 Hiring preferences of UAE employers
Will you be hiring in the next 3 months either for your organisation or for your clients if you are in
the recruitment field or an HR consultant
Definitely hiring 28%
Probably hiring 25%
Probably not hiring 11%
Definitely not hiring 7%
Don’t know/can’t say 29%
What are the educational and academic qualifications you emphasize on nowadays when
looking for suitable candidates?
Engineering graduation/post graduation (highest in the Middle East) 27%
Business Management graduation/post graduation 22%
Commerce graduation/post graduation 20%
Administrative qualifications 16%
Computer Science qualifications 14%
Information Technology graduation/post graduation 13%
18 Bayt, JI, 2012. Middle East Job Index. August 2012. Retrieved December 23, 2012, from
http://www.slideshare.net/bayt_com/middle-east-job-index-survey-august-2012

39
Science graduation/post graduation 12%
Electronics/Electrical qualifications 9%
Arts graduation/post graduation 7%
Hospitality qualifications 6%
Teaching qualifications 5%
Law qualifications 3%
Which of the follow requirements/factors do you most look for in a candidate?
Team player - Cooperative/helpful/flexible 49%
Good communication skills – Arabic & English 48%
Good leadership skills 47%
Ability to work under pressure 44%
Trustworthy/Honest 40%
Good negotiation skills 39%
Effective/productive 36%
Overall personality and demeanour 34%
Good personal grooming 32%
Passionate/desire to make a difference 32%
What experience are you ideally looking for?
Managerial – ability to manage a team 35%
Mid-level experience (3 to 7 years) 27%
Engineering 27%
Computer skills 26%
Sales and Marketing 25%
Administrative 22%
Senior level experience (7 to 10 years) 18%
Junior level experience (less than 3 years) 17%
Public speaking/giving presentations 9%
Very senior level experience, Department Head or Director (more than 10 years) 7%
Which industries are attracting/retaining the top talent in your country of residence today?
Banking/Finance 34%
Oil, Gas and Petrochemicals 32%
Telecommunications 27%
Construction 26%
Tourism/Hospitality 24%
Consumer goods 18%
Advertising 18%
Electronics 17%
Medical/Health Services 14%
Source: Bayt, JI (2012)

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4.1.5 Qualifications and employability issues
The situation in the UAE can be compared to issues faced in other parts of the world. A key
issue at the forefront of European projects concerning higher education and employability is
to learn about the relative impact of higher education programs on acquired competencies
and professional success (Pavlin, 2010)19.
In examining the UAE, a similar approach of examination may be applied that Pavlin (2010)
describes for the European market. As such, the concept of employability and the need for a
national framework might be presented in the UAE as a holistic structure for the integration of
different issues in a specific context. These relate to the levels of competencies, job
requirements, labour market segmentation, or determinants of graduates’ careers, and the
function of education systems providing skills for the labour market. In this perspective, for the
UAE and other nations, definitions of employability frequently relate to paradoxes and
connections of the following:
1. Employability as individual capabilities vs. actual registered employment (Pavlin, 2010)
2. Employability as a skill-supply phenomenon versus a skill demand phenomenon as
measured in skill shortages versus skill surpluses (Allen and Van der Velden, 2005)20
3. Employability as individual factors (i.e. skills, socio-biographic characteristics,
qualifications) versus personal circumstances (i.e. access to resources, work culture,
national policy) (McQuaid and Lindsay, 2005)21
4. Employability as the justification of the professional orientation of jobs in which
predominant characteristics are distinguished among managerial-organisational
characteristics of jobs versus professional characteristics (Pavlin, 2010).
4.2 EDUCATION PATHWAYS AND CHALLENGES
4.2.1 Secondary and primary education
The UAE has successfully expanded primary and secondary education; however, there is
general acknowledgment that the quality of the primary and secondary education systems
have room for growth to match and exceed international standards. For example, secondary
school graduates can neither directly enter the labour market with the required skills and
many are unable to pursue undergraduate education without foundation or bridge
programs. According to PA Consulting (2009)22, these concerns are validated by:
… different forms of evidence: low levels of performance on internationally benchmarked
student assessments; low shares of students whose studies at the secondary and post-
secondary level concentrate in the critical fields of science, mathematics, engineering,
and technology; and low rates of obtaining postsecondary degrees.
19 Pavlin, S. (2010). Higher Education and Employability Issue 1. DECOWE Working Paper Series. Retrieved
December 5, 2011, from:
http://www.decowe.org/static/uploaded/htmlarea/decowe/reports/DECOWEWorkingpaper_201012Pavlin.pdf
20 Allen, J. & Velden, R. V. (Eds.). (2009). Report on the large-scale graduate surveys: Competencies and early
labor market careers of higher education graduates. Retrieved December 4, 2011, from
http://www.decowe.org/static/uploaded/htmlarea/finalreportshegesco/Competencies_and_Early_Labour_M
arket_Careers_of_HE_Graduates.pdf
21 McQuaid, R.W.& Lindsay, C. (2005). The Concept of Employability. Urban Studies February, 42, pp. 197-219.
22 PA Consulting (2009). Curriculum Reform Program - A case for change.

41
In this context, it is of great importance to identify the vital role secondary education plays in
the development process the UAE is undergoing at all levels. However, it is well recognised
that in the current information and technology-based economy, secondary education is no
longer sufficient as a terminal degree. Most of the fastest-growing jobs require at least some
postsecondary education; yet, a large number of students fail to complete high school and
make a successful transition to postsecondary. Further, studies consistently show that many
high school graduates do not meet employers’ standards in a variety of academic areas as
well as in employability skills such as attendance, teamwork, collaboration and work habits,
whereas many others enter postsecondary education needing remedial coursework.
4.2.2 Identified needs for change
The study by PA Consulting (2009) engaged 330 stakeholders about their opinions on the UAE
education system. These stakeholder groups included principals, teachers, parents and
students. There was consistent feedback on the following points:
 There is a desire to improve current curricula structures and to make study more relevant to
individual and societal needs as the current rigid structures are de-motivating for many
students, parents and teachers.
 Students need to understand better the relevance of school to their future work and study
through improved career counselling.
 Students need to be prepared better to undertake successfully tertiary studies and
training. This requires that schools improve the teaching of basic skills and life skills such as
decision-making, problem solving, and critical thinking.
 Change takes time and requires resources to succeed, and limited success associated
with past initiative needs to be addressed through improved communication, involvement
of stakeholders and strategic planning.
 There is insufficient time to learn all that is in the curriculum: either the time at school needs
to be expanded or the breadth of the curriculum reduced.
 There is a need to improve the total system and it is not enough to change what happens in
secondary schools alone, since the system needs to be aligned from Years 1 to 12.
The study explored the following aspects of the system that most need change in order to
achieve high standards of education for UAE youth:
 The mix of subjects was a concern as some students and teachers felt that insufficient
opportunity is provided for students to undertake vocational programs. There was
considerable support for greater flexibility and choice and the provision of a combined
core and elective program.
 Concern was expressed that current facilities are not designed to accommodate subjects
where there are practical elements – a disincentive for some, more practically oriented
students to remain in school.
 If there is to be change then sufficient time is needed for teachers, educational managers,
students and parents to understand the changes and develop new programs and
approaches to teaching.

42
 Career counselling and the development of ‘student learning pathways’ was a concern
as a considerable number of students do not have a sufficient understanding of post-
school options and the link between what is studied at school and future work.
 Generally, countries are offering additions beyond traditional academic subjects. These
may be in the form of vocational education programs or through elective programs where
students have the opportunity to choose subjects beyond the core curriculum, or a
combination of the two. Core programs include the home language, another language,
mathematics, science and personal development.
4.2.3 International comparisons
The structure of senior secondary school curricula varies from country to country with a
common trend towards the provision of several pathways for students to cater for the various
abilities, attributes and aspirations of students (‎Table 3). The research was restricted to looking
at the curricula structures associated with those students who continue with more formal and
academic education rather than into vocational programs. Further work may be needed to
understand better the full range of education and training programs that are available
outside the more academic programs that are the focus of this report.
Table 3 Key features of education systems in selected countries
Australia
 Academic and vocational curriculum established throughout secondary schools
 Concept of students choice supported by counselling is embedded within the system
 Highly qualified teachers with access to continuous development opportunities
 Teaching and learning supported by high class IT and technology facilities
 Secondary school qualifications internationally recognised and benchmarked
Finland
 Strong core curriculum, with electives having to be extensions of core subjects
 Parents, pupils and employers integral to the design of new national curriculum
 Concept of student choice supported by counselling is embedded within the system
 Teachers need Masters degrees to teach and have access to continuous development
 Over 99% of pupils complete basic education to end of Grade 9
Korea
 Strong core curriculum, with elective in the last 2 years of high school
 Curriculum content is aimed at progression to university
 Drop-out rate from Middle to High School is only 0.5%
 220 teaching days in the school year, which is one if the highest in the world (6 day week)
 National network of teacher training institutions for initial and continuous training

43
Singapore
 Strong curriculum with success based on clear direction, choice and flexibility
 Extra-curricular activities seen as essential and built into the core school curriculum
 Career guidance/student counselling an integral part of a school’s role
 Highly respected and internationally recognised national assessment system
 World leading National Institute of Education for teacher training/development
England
 Wide ranging curriculum offering core and electives from Grade 10 (age 14)
 Well established academic and vocational curricula
 Internationally recognised national assessment system at Grade 11 (age 16) and Grade 13
(age 18)
 Teachers in the public sector must hold a nationality-recognised qualification
 Widespread use of technology to support both learning and teaching pedagogies
United States
 No national curriculum – States and local districts decide on local curriculum and standards
 Regional education laboratories advise and influence curriculum design
 Concept of core and electives is embedded within each State system
 Each State has a standardised testing policy
 Secondary school teachers certified in one or more academic or vocational subjects
Source: PA Consulting (2009)
4.2.4 Relevance of the overall findings to the UAE
Several key findings are relevant to future curriculum provision within the UAE. These findings
include:
 the need to move from a two-track system to a one-track system
 exploring how the curriculum could be made more relevant to students through the
development of a core plus elective program
 the need to explore how the school day and school year can be extended to provide
more learning time for students
 the need to ensure that any change is supported by a thorough and well-resourced
professional development program, especially one that focuses on teacher effectiveness
 a reduction in the time spent on assessment and the development of more reliable and
valid assessment tools that assess student progress and assist teachers with their planning.
It was identified that exposure to the world of work can be important because high school
students often lack information on the educational requirements for particular jobs. Relevant
activities include, for example, paid and unpaid internships, guest lecturers from the business
community, career days, youth apprenticeships and job shadowing.

44
The major international findings from the PA Consulting (2009) study are as follows:
 Teaching practice: Teaching standards are being developed in and across countries that
describe what it is teachers need to know and be able to do. These standards are central
to a better understanding of what comprises effective teaching and they are being used
for registration, training and appraisal purposes. There is a common recognition that the
quality of teaching is central to success and all systems are concentrating on improving
teacher quality.
 Assessing student progress: Increasingly assessment is being used to inform teachers about
the effectiveness of their practice as well as determining student progress. Initiatives such
as the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) are being increasingly used to
measure effectiveness. There is a growing perception that if assessment does not inform
practice then it is of limited value.
 Information technology: With universities and training institutes increasingly requiring
students to use IT as an integral part of learning and assessment, schooling systems too are
starting to require that senior secondary students use IT as an integral part of their learning,
both in locating and analysing information and in submitting reports.
 Curriculum support materials: As systems have developed and as the quality of teachers
has improved, there is less reliance on central texts and a greater use of commercial texts,
including online material. As teaching becomes more professional, systems are outlining
clear outcome expectations and standards but are giving greater flexibility in how
teachers teach. The focus is on effectiveness as measured by results rather than the means
of achieving those results.
4.2.5 Higher education sector in the UAE
Most licensed institutions are in Dubai and Abu Dhabi; 30 in Dubai and 28 in Abu Dhabi. Next
on the list are Sharjah and Ras Al Khaimah with four (4), both Ajman and Fujairah have three
(3), while Umm Al-Quwain currently has one (1) licensed institution. Data from the Commission
for Academic Accreditation23 in ‎Table 4 shows the number of students and accredited
programs according to discipline of study in 2010/2011.
Table 4 Student numbers and accredited programs by subject, 2010/2011
Subject Student numbers Accredited programs
Arabic/Islamic Studies 3,912 24
Art & Design 1,616 25
Business/Management 20,199 135
Communication/Media 3,647 16
Computer Science/IT 4,921 48
Education 2,688 22
Engineering 9,547 105
English Language/Literature 675 10
Health Sciences 6,104 63
Law & Jurisprudence 7,295 23
Mathematics & Science 401 8
Social/Behavioural 667 22
Other 168 12
23 Commission for Academic Accreditation. https://www.caa.ae/caaweb/DesktopDefault.aspx

45
However, some believe that despite all the efforts invested in the field of education in the UAE
and reforms costing about AED 400 million, the performance of pupils at national curriculum is
still below international standards. Dr Abdulla Al Amiri, an adviser to the MOE since 2007,
explained that this low performance of students is also evident at university level. He believes
that “the absence of a clear vision for the national curriculum, a lack of accountability and
constantly changing school strategies” are some of the reasons behind this low performance.
He further calls for enhancing the quality of education “by laying down criteria and
standards, increasing the number of hours at school and tackling dropouts" (Ahmad, 2011).24
Finally, higher education within the UAE and the region, is a changing landscape and it is one
in which the introduction of a national qualifications framework is likely to play a leading role.
4.2.6 Career counselling practices and trends
In her article, Brattel (2011)25 discusses the importance of career guidance, particularly for
Emirati nationals, as a tool that can help in shaping Dubai’s future. She explains that experts
think that a child should start thinking about their career path between the ages of eight (8)
and 11 years, even if they change their minds later. Many of the private schools, and most
universities, offer career guidance to their students. However, young people in public schools
tend to rely on their families or an interested teacher to help them as best as they can.
Essa Al Mulla, Director of the Emirates Nationals Development Program (ENDP), chaired a
panel on the subject in Dubai from April 24 to 27, 201126. He believes that:
Career guidance is missing from the UAE education system and if this is not resolved
as soon as possible, UAE nationals will face a major issue as they will not be equipped
to plan a career path, thus hindering their growth.
The National Human Resource Development and Employment Authority (Tanmia) was
established by Federal Law No. 27 in November 1999 and assumed its functions in November
2000. It undertakes, in accordance with local authorities and concerned parties, the
implementation of the following objectives:
 Achieve full employment of the national human resources
 Reduce the foreign component of the UAE labour force
 Increase the supply of qualified and skilled national labour force to meet labour market
needs
 Develop and enhance the work skills and potentials of the national labour force.
Tanmia’s mission is to provide quality services in areas related to training, career guidance
and employment of national human resources to create a productive workforce capable of
contributing to a competitive and skill-based national economy.
24 Ahmad, A. (2011, October 4). Poor quality education 'failing our children'. The National. Retrieved October 5,
2011, from http://www.thenational.ae/news/uae-news/education/poor-quality-education-failing-our-children
25 Brattle, S. (2011, April 14). Career guidance can shape Dubai’s future. gulfnews.com. Retrieved November
30, 2011, from http://gulfnews.com/gn-focus/getex/career-guidance-can-shape-dubai-s-future-1.790851.
26 Gulf New (April 14, 2011). Career guidance can shape Dubai’s future. Retrieved November 20, from
http://m.gulfnews.com/gn-focus/getex/career-guidance-can-shape-dubai-s-future-1.790851

46
Tanmia has continued its strong commitment to provide the best employment opportunities
to UAE Nationals with its Center for Career Guidance and Planning (CCGP). The Center seeks
to direct national human resources to educational, training and career options that match
their capabilities by adopting a clear vision for planning and development of career routes at
the national level, in coordination with other relevant institutions. The CCGP supports career
guidance activities undertaken by Tanmia local offices. In 2005, Tanmia launched the
'Education Business Link' project; a major initiative in the UAE to bridge the gap between the
education and business sectors in the country.
4.3 QUALIFICATIONS FRAMEWORKS WORLDWIDE
With the emerging knowledge economy and increased speed of implementation of
technology in to workplaces, learning and training is becoming more advanced in the
workplace. Workplaces are becoming more sophisticated and incubators of new learning
and innovation. In many instances old economy institutions of education and training are not
able to keep up with the fast changing technologies and moving knowledge, skills and
aspects of competence that are happening in the modern world of work.
Thus a new paradigm has been developing to try to connect education and training systems
and institutions closer to the needs of the workplace. An increasing approach is to invite
industry stakeholder (e.g. employers, employees, regulators and other associated technical
experts practitioners) to codify their workplace requirements. Most commonly occupational
skills standards have been used as the mechanism for bridging the growing gap between
workplace learning, technology and innovation with old economy institutions of education
and training. These standards are becoming the preferred medium for formally recognising
competent performance of individuals and in tooling up human capital.
The gap between existing formally recognised skills individuals have and desired or required
skills in the workplace is the basic impetus for reforming the relationship between education
and training and industry. A good example to state here is that in the early 1970s, automobile
manufacturers in the United States were finding that graduates of automotive technology
courses were lacking the skills necessary to work on cars with advanced technology systems.
The public, losing faith in the quality of new car repairs, were either not buying new cars or not
buying cars made in the United States. To improve worker competence, the National Institute
for Automotive Service Excellence (an industry led body) began to require auto mechanics
be qualified/certified.
In light of these extraordinary global changes underway many countries have or are looking
to improve, or in some cases reform, their education and training systems. Where needed,
they look to improve and introduce policies, processes and systems that aim to increase the
interrelationship and relevance of education and training with the world of work. Most recent
developments have been the introduction of national and international qualifications
frameworks as a central comparative tool for organising and managing qualifications, with
many interrelating qualification outcomes linked with occupational requirements.
The result is a strong international trend towards the use of qualifications frameworks. Many
countries have already introduced national qualifications frameworks, including all of the UK
countries, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and Ireland as a lead mechanism to reform
their education and training system and enhance international attractiveness and

47
competiveness of available skills in their country. In all, more than 250 countries have now in
place or proceeded to work towards implementing their QF. Most of the EU countries have
developed national frameworks, or are in the process of doing so to ensure alignment with
the emerging trend to develop ‘meta-frameworks’ that link national systems of qualifications.
Two of these international referencing systems are emerging in Europe. The first is the
European Qualifications Framework (EQF) that will provide an ‘interchange’ enabling the
alignment of national qualifications frameworks in Europe. The second is the key initiative in
the development of a European Higher Education Area, which has been the adoption of the
‘Bologna Framework’. This framework forms the basis of a common understanding of the
‘cycles’ in higher education and the qualifications associated with the cycles.
The UAE recognised the imperative of establishing a national qualifications framework,
proposed and subsequently has established a ten (10) level qualifications framework. It is a
singular, coherent and integrated qualifications framework covering higher education (HE),
vocational education and training (VET) and general education (GE) sectors with an agreed
classification system of new qualifications, which will be nationally and internationally
recognised. The establishment of a national qualifications framework for the UAE, the
QFEmirates, ensures the country is well placed to align and compare its qualifications with
that of other national qualifications frameworks and meta-frameworks.
A common feature of all qualifications frameworks are structures of levels based on ‘learning
outcomes’. There is emerging a new general understanding of the meaning of a
qualification, certifying that an individual has achieved certain learning outcomes to
standards set by a relevant and authoritative body. This understanding differs from the
previous common approach that a qualification is based on participation and time spent on
a course or program.
The key drivers behind introducing a national qualifications framework are shown in ‎Table 5
on the following page. For the driver of lifelong learning, the QFEmirates is an enabling tool
that can assist in the recognition of prior learning (RPL). RPL involves the formal assessment of
previously unrecognised knowledge, skills and aspects of competency an individual has
achieved outside the formal education and training system. It assesses this unrecognised
learning against the requirements of a qualification. RPL can reduce the need for duplication
of learning. It encourages an individual to continue upgrading their skills and knowledge and
pursue lifelong learning through structured and informal learning and training towards formal
qualifications. More importantly, it can improve employment outcomes in terms of career
progression and rewards, and act as a catalyst for lifelong learning.

48
Table 5 Key drivers of a national qualifications framework27
Single framework The need for an enabling mechanism (a unified and singular system and
reference point for all national qualifications) that could be used by a
country’s decision makers to develop relevant strategic educational and
training policies and directions (including prioritising targeted areas) to
improve the country’s economic, social and personal competitiveness, and
standing in the world community.
Common
benchmark
The need to bring ‘national’ order (using common nomenclature and
outcomes based criteria) to the many and varied qualifications on offer
being issued across the country by licensed or unlicensed providers, and
aid in the development of new recognisable and government endorsed
national qualifications.
Qualifications
flexibility
The need to facilitate adequate flexibility within qualifications’ structures to
accommodate changing technologies, changing work organisation,
learner mobility, and learner career paths, and which include improved
opportunities for access and transferability between different educational
and training providers.
A framework
of common
language
The need to provide a framework of common language that can be used
as a ready guide for both employers and learners/employees in terms of
identifying the level of education as well as knowledge sills and aspects of
competence required when advertising for jobs. It also serves as guide to
individuals to identify the type of jobs they may be eligible for and what
qualifications are needed in order to apply for them.
Labour market The need to address skills shortages/deficits in the economy and increase
labour market opportunities for individuals through education and training,
and labour mobility.
Quality and
consistency
The need for improved and transparent mechanisms for assuring the
quality, consistency and rigour of national qualifications for the country,
community, employers and learners/employees.
International
alignments
The need to establish linkages and alignments with other countries to affect
international comparisons leading to improved information for assisting in
learner mobility.
Lifelong learning The need for more transparent mechanisms that facilitate formal
recognition of ‘lifelong’ learning including formal, non-formal and informal
learning and the need to ensure, for the long term that all qualifications at
least support and recognise lifelong learning and be aligned to other
international frameworks for mobility.
November, 20, 2012, from http://www.nqa.gov.ae/pdf/QF%20Handbook_v1b_28_Feb_2012.pdf, p. 21

49
The United States is currently piloting qualifications framework programs. Adelman (2009)28
called for the establishment of a national qualifications framework in the United States. He
asked the U.S. Higher Education community to benefit from the European experience that
aimed at establishing common reference points and operating procedures by creating a
European Higher Education Area (known as the ‘Bologna Process’). Adelman (2009) criticised
the country’s higher education system, calling for a reform to obtain better students’ learning
outcomes the way European countries did. He explains:
The point is not that other countries produce more degrees; it is that they just might
be producing better degrees, certainly degrees whose reference points in student
learning outcomes and meaning is transparent – something that cannot be said for
the degrees we award.
Recently, the United States started to pay more attention to the core messages of the
European process. Dozens of conferences have included panels, presentations, and intense
discussions of Bologna approaches to accountability, access, quality assurance, credits and
transfer, and, most notably, learning outcomes in the context of the disciplines.
In order to ensure students have high quality degrees that reflect credible learning on the
part of students, a qualifications framework called the Degree Qualifications Profile (DQP)
was developed in 2011. The DQP focuses on the issues, strengths and potential that are
distinctive to the higher education in the United States. It is not a finished product, but rather a
draft document that is being tested by front-line faculty members at more than 100 colleges
and universities all over the nation (Lumina Foundation, 2012)29.
4.4 CHAPTER SUMMARY
Key findings emerging from the literature review are as follows:
 The UAE continues to face the employment challenges of a heavy reliance on non-
nationals to meet workforce needs, a large proportion of UAE Nationals working in the
public sector, high rates of unemployment among recent graduates, and low
nationalisation levels in the private sector. According to GulfTalent.com (2012), UAE
Nationals accounted for 7% of total private sector employment in 2011 – the second
lowest nationalisation rate in the Gulf region.
 Recruitment and salary data from GulfTalent.com (2012) indicates that the UAE is
continuing to experience increases in job creation and salary rises, GulfTalent.com predicts
that 51% of employers will create new jobs and salaries will rise by 4.9% in 2012. Dubai’s
share of regional recruitment activity is increasing after two years of slowdown.
28 Adelman, C. (2009). The Bologna Process for U.S. Eyes: Re-learning Higher Education in the Age of
Convergence. Retrieved January 2, 2012, from http://www.ihep.org/assets/files/EYESFINAL.pdf, p. 2
29 Lumina Foundation (2011). The Degree Qualifications Profile. Retrieved January 30, 2012, from
http://www.luminafoundation.org/publications/The_Degree_Qualifications_Profile.pdf

50
 Data on hiring expectations of employers who responded to the 2012 Middle East Jobs
Index Survey (JI) was positive, with 72% indicating they would be ‘definitely hiring/
probably hiring’ over the next three (3) months. Employers indicated a preference for:
 Engineering, Business Management and Commerce graduates
 candidates with team skills, communication skills and leadership skills
 managers who are able to manage a team as opposed to candidates with very senior
level experience.
 Employers regarded Banking/Finance, Oil, Gas and Petrochemicals and
Telecommunications as the most attractive industries to top talent, and Medical/Health
Sciences as the least attractive industry to top talent.
 There are ongoing concerns about UAE’s education system, in particular the quality of
primary and second education systems not matching international standards; a large
number of students failing to complete high school and make a successful transition to
postsecondary education; and graduates not meeting employers’ standards in a variety
of academic areas. Low performance of students is also evident at the university level.
 Although many of the private schools and most universities offer career guidance to their
students, young people in public schools rely heavily on their families or an interested
teacher. It is not known to what extent the establishment of the National Human Resources
Development and Employment Authority (Tanmia) in 1999 has addressed the lack and/or
quality of career guidance in public schools.
 Many countries have introduced or are developing national qualifications frameworks as a
lead mechanism to reform their education and training system and enhance international
attractiveness of available skills in their country. The UAE has established a 10-level national
qualifications framework known as the QFEmirates - a singular, coherent and integrated
qualifications framework covering the higher education, vocational education and training
(VET) and general education sectors.

51
Chapter 5: Perspectives of employers
5. Perspectives of employers
This chapter presents findings from a 23-question survey that
discovered employers’ knowledge of the relationship between jobs
and qualifications; views on CoreLife Skills of graduates; recruitment
of graduates; and hiring intentions over the next two years.
5.1 SURVEY PARTICIPANTS
Despite only receiving 83 survey returns from employers, the project attracted participants
from organisations that varied in terms of industry sector, size, sector and type. ‎Figure 4 on the
next page illustrates the following key characteristics of participants:
 Most participants were located in either Dubai (64% of returns) or Abu Dhabi (34% of returns).
 Almost half (48%) of the participants were from multi-national organisations, 26% from
national organisations and 18% from local/Emirate organisations.
 Although 24% of the participants indicated their organisation employed over 1,000
employees, half of the participants were from small to medium sized organisations (SMEs),
having between 11 and 250 employees.
 Participants from the private sector accounted for 72% of returns, which explains why UAE
Nationals accounted for a low proportion of employees in these organisations.
 Many organisations employed either no Emiratis (31%) or employed a small number of
Emiratis i.e. Emiratis in 41% of organisations accounted for 1% and 10% of all employees,
In terms of industry sector:
 the Business, Administration and Financial Services sector accounted for 29% of returns
 the low number of returns from sectors like Government Services and Public Administration
(5 organisations) and Utilities and infrastructure (1) is due to some extent to the smaller
number of organisations in these sectors compared to other sectors
 the survey attracted returns from the key growth sectors identified in the Occupations and
Careers Handbook for UAE Nationals – Energy Resources (4 organisations), Logistics and
Transport (5), Utilities and Infrastructure (1), Building and Construction (9), and
Manufacturing (7).30
For the full table of returns by industry sector, go to:
30 Ministry of Presidential Affairs and National Qualifications Authority (in press). Occupations and Careers
Handbook for UAE Nationals.

52
Dubai
64%
Abu Dhabi
34%
Sharjah
1%
Ras Al Khaimah
1%
Location
Multi-national
48%
National
(across UAE)
26%
Local (Emirate)
only
18%
Other
5%
No response
3%
Type of
organisation
Private
72%
Public
(government)
12%
Semi-public
11%
Not-for-
community
5%
Sector
1-10
11%
11-20
11%
21-50
12%
51-100
10%
101-200
14%
201-500
10%
501-1000
8%
Over 1000
24%
Number of
employees
No Emiratis
31%
1-10%
41%
11-20%
9%
21-40%
5%
41-60%
11%
Over 60%
4%
% of employers
who are Emirati
Figure 4 Key characteristics of participating employers

53
5.2 JOBS AND EMPLOYABILITY INDICATORS OF THE QFEMIRATES
5.2.1 Jobs and level of qualifications
Research question 1:
To what extent do employers know the level of qualifications typically associated with
particular jobs as proposed in the employability indicators of the QFEmirates?
Participants selected three (3) jobs in their organisation and indicated the qualification (if
any) they expect employees to have to perform these jobs effectively. The survey included
the example of a ‘nurse’ as an occupation that typically requires a Bachelor degree.
Finding: Some participants indicated a good level of understanding of occupations at the
para-professional level and above that require a qualification at Diploma/Associate degree
level and above (‎Table 6). For example:
 the occupation of architect typically requires a Bachelor degree
 the occupation of technician typically requires a Diploma.
Finding: Some participants indicated a lower level of understanding of occupations that
require a qualification at Certificate 4 level or below (‎Table 6). They indicated qualification
requirements for their selected jobs that were either too low or too high. For example:
 the occupation of documentation assistant typically requires a qualification lower than
Certificate 4 (a qualification typically required for skilled trades occupations e.g. carpenter)
 the occupation of operator typically requires a qualification above Certificate 1 (a
qualification that typically applies to lower level occupations e.g. cleaner and labourer).
Table 6 Qualification requirements for selected jobs
Qualification requirements Selected jobs
Doctoral degree
 Head of Research and Development, Chief Executive Officer,
Director of Psychology, University Professor
Masters degree  Head of Department, Program Director, Principal Partner
Graduate Diploma  Finance Manager, Recruitment Manager, Consultant
Bachelor degree  Accountant, Engineer, Marketing Manager, Architect, Administrator
Diploma (Advanced)  IT Support Specialist, Senior Technician, HR Coordinator, Draftsman
Diploma/Associate degree  Inspector, Supervisor, Chef, Technician
Certificate 4
(10 jobs identified)
 Documentation Assistant, entry level jobs
Qualification requirements too high
Certificate 3
(8 jobs identified)
 Tradesman, Technician
Qualification requirements too low
Certificate 2
(7 jobs identified)
 Administrator, Technician
Certificate 1
(6 jobs identified)
 Operator, Administrator

54
Participants identified fewer occupations that require qualifications at Certificate 4 level or
lower. For example, participants only identified seven (7) occupations against Certificate 2. This
finding may be due to their organisations not employing many people with these qualifications
and/or employing people without the necessary qualifications to work in these jobs.
There were some variations in participants’ responses to qualification requirements for the
same occupation. For example:
 responses to requirements for entry level jobs ranged from Certificate 1 to 4
 responses to requirements for administrators ranged from Certificate 1 to Bachelor degree
 responses to requirements for technicians ranged from Certificate 2 to Diploma (Advanced).
For all employer responses, go to:
Appendix 7: Employer responses to qualifications, knowledge, skills and experience
requirements (p. 199)
5.2.2 Knowledge, skills and experience requirements for selected jobs
To what extent do employers know the level of knowledge, skills and experience typically
required for particular jobs as proposed in the employability indicators of the QFEmirates?
Participants selected three (3) jobs in their organisation and indicated the level of knowledge,
skills and experience they expect employees to have to perform these jobs effectively. The
survey included the example of a ‘teacher’ as an occupation that typically requires
knowledge, skills and experience at the ‘professional’ level.
Finding: Some participants indicated a good level of understanding of the knowledge, skills
and experience (KSE) requirements (from basic to leading specialist/expert) for selected jobs
in their organisation (‎Table 7). For example:
 a chief executive officer typically requires knowledge, skills and experience at the ‘leading
specialist/expert’ level
 a cook typically requires knowledge, skills and experience at the ‘semi-skilled’ level.
Finding: Some participants indicated a lower level of understanding of the knowledge, skills
and experience (KSE) requirements for selected jobs in their organisation. Participants’ KSE
requirements for selected jobs were either too high or too low (‎Table 8). For example:
 an Oil and Gas Engineer typically requires knowledge, skills and experience at the
‘professional’ level (as opposed to the lower ‘supervisory/higher technical’ level)
 a data entry clerk with strong computer skills typically requires knowledge, skills and
experience at the ‘semi-skilled’ level (as opposed to the higher ‘highly skilled’ level).
requirements (p. 199)

55
Table 7 Good level of understanding of the KSE requirements for selected jobs
Knowledge, skills and
experience requirements
Selected jobs
Leading specialist/expert
 Head of Research, Practice Lead, Partner/Director, Chief
Executive Officer
Higher professional
 Senior Engineer, Executive Producer, Managing Consultant, Art
Director
Professional  Consultant, HR Manager, Accountant, Network Engineer
Para-professional/higher
technical
 Senior Technician, Designer
Supervisory/higher technical  Sales Team Leader, Project Manager, Foreman
Highly skilled  Senior Technician
Skilled  Carpenter, Welder, Sales Consultant
Semi-skilled  Security Guard, Cook
General  Driver, Cashier
Basic  Cleaner, Helper
Table 8 Lower level of understanding of the KSE requirements for selected jobs
Selected jobs
 Senior Officer, Sales Manager, Engineer, Shift Manager, Engineer
KSE requirements too high
Higher professional
 Assistant Manager, Marketing, Technical Surveyor, Finance
Manager
Professional
 Administration Officer
technical
 Spacecraft Engineer, Auditor, Automation Engineer
KSE requirements too low
Supervisory/higher
technical
 Oil and Gas Engineer, Auditor
Highly skilled
 Flight Operations Engineer
 Data Entry Clerk with strong computer skills
Skilled
 Architect, Spacecraft Controller
Semi-skilled
 Senior Operator
General
 Administrator, Clerk
Basic
 Receptionist, Operator

56
5.2.3 Jobs and job functions
To what extent do employers know the job functions typically required for particular jobs as
proposed in the employability indicators of the QFEmirates?
Participants selected three (3) jobs in their organisation and identified ‘function verbs’ related
to these jobs. The survey included the example of an ‘electrician’ and the function verbs of
‘Diagnose’, ‘Repair’ and ‘Install’ that typically apply to this job.
Finding: Some participants indicated a good level of understanding of the function verbs
associated with jobs as well as a good level of understanding of the knowledge, skills and
experience (KSE) requirements for selected jobs (‎Table 9). For example:
 the function verbs of ‘troubleshoot’, ‘plan’, ‘repair’ and ‘reporting’ apply to senior
technician, an occupation that typically requires knowledge, skills and experience at the
‘para-professional/higher technical’ level
 the function verbs of ‘undertake’, ‘utilise’ and ‘prepare’ apply to helper, an occupation
that typically requires knowledge, skills and experience at the ‘basic’ level.
Table 9 Good level of understanding of the function verbs for selected jobs and good
level of understanding of the KSE requirements for selected jobs
Function verbs for selected jobs
 Director/Principal Partner (direct, lead, manage)
 Vice President Logistics (lead, inspire, monitor, drive)
Higher professional
 Senior Accountant (research, evaluation and develop)
 Executive Manager (plan, review, hire, terminate, sell, evaluate)
Professional
 Consultant (deliver, facilitate, implement, perform, respond)
 Architect (design, prepare, perform)
technical
 Designer (design, coordinate, follow up)
 Senior Technician (troubleshoot, plan, repair, report)
Supervisory/higher
technical
 Electrical technician (assemble, build, calibrate, carry out,
fabricate)
 Facility Manager (organise, undertake, maintain, administer)
Highly skilled  Instructor (deliver, perform. produce)
Skilled
 Plumber (repair)
 Technician (overhaul, rectify, perform)
Semi-skilled
 Executive Assistant (conduct, perform, administer, organise,
prepare)
 Assistant Technician (contribute, provide)
General
 Driver (schedule, undertake, maintain)
 Administrative Assistant (carry out, document, implement, operate)
Basic  Helper (undertake, utilise, prepare)

57
Finding: Although some participants indicated a good level of understanding of the function
verbs associated with selected jobs, they have a lower level of understanding of the
knowledge, skills and experience (KSE) requirements for selected jobs (‎Table 10). For example:
 the function verbs of ‘diagnose’, ‘lead’, ‘report’, ‘monitor’ and ‘plan’ apply to clinical
specialist. However, this occupation typically requires knowledge, skills and experience at
the ‘professional’ or ‘higher professional’ level (as opposed to the ‘para-
professional/higher technical’ level)
 the function verbs of ‘test’, ‘coordinate’, ‘document’ and ‘administer’ apply to
coordinator. However, this occupation typically requires knowledge, skills and experience
at least at the ‘skilled’ level (as opposed to the ‘general’ level).
Table 10 Good level of understanding of the function verbs for selected jobs and lower
level of understanding KSE requirements to selected jobs
Selected jobs
 Analyst (diagnose, evaluate and sell)
 Trade/Sales/Research (analyse and carry out)
Higher professional
 Designer (design and develop)
 Administrative Unit Manager (organise, supervise, mobile and
monitor)
Professional
 Administration Officer (audit, coordinate, document, report and
service)
 Media Administrator (administer, monitor, configure and research)
technical
 Clinical Specialist (diagnose, lead, report, monitor and plan)
Supervisory/higher
technical
 Auditor (audit and lead) and QA Manager (evaluate, identify and
troubleshoot)
Highly skilled
 Receptionist (service, sell and respond)
 Marketing Executive (develop, design and monitor)
Skilled
 Engineer (test, troubleshoot and repair)
 Spacecraft Controller (monitor, conduct, perform, document and
contribute)
Semi-skilled
 Senior Operator (fabricate, make and test)
General
 Quality Analyst (check, document and evaluate)
 Coordinator (test, coordinate, document and administer)
Basic
 Operator (carry out, operate and store)
Appendix 9: Employer responses to function verbs relating to specific occupations (p. 204)

58
5.2.4 Observations: Jobs and employability indicators of the QFEmirates
Research question 1, 2 and 3 sought to find out to what extent employers’ level of
understanding of qualification requirements, knowledge/skills/experience requirements and
function verbs of particular jobs align to the employability indicators in the QFEmirates. The
analysis of the data found:
 some participants have a good level of understanding of jobs requiring a qualification at
Diploma/Associate degree level or above i.e. qualifications required for para-professional
jobs and above
 many participants have a lower level of understanding of jobs requiring a qualification at
Certificate 4 level or lower
 some participants indicated knowledge, skills and experience (KSE) requirements for
particular jobs that were either too high or too low
 variations in participants’ responses to qualification requirements for similar positions
 many participants were able to identify function verbs associated with selected jobs.
The existence of education and training system infrastructure in the form of the Commission
for Academic Accreditation (CAA) for Diploma/Associate degree level qualifications and
above is one factor explaining employers’ good level of understanding of the jobs that
require these qualifications. The CAA is a Federal regulatory quality assurance body of the
UAE Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research (MOHESR). This body provides the
official and public benchmarks that facilitate bridging the relationships between
qualifications and occupational outcomes in a way that employers, institutes and individuals
can relate to easily.
With the exception of the UAE Ministry of Education (MOE) which regulates school outcomes
(i.e. Secondary School Certificate and some generalist short-course training activities), there
has been no body until the establishment of the NQA that performs a regulatory function
below Diploma/Associate degree or more specifically in the vocational education and
training (VET) qualifications and occupations landscape. The establishment of the National
Qualifications Authority with specific reference in its objectives to oversee vocational
education and training qualifications aims to:
 overcome the lack of Federal regulation in this regard
 increase the awareness and use of vocational qualifications
 improve consistency of terminology and nomenclature usage in the labour market
 promote the QFEmirates and its employability indicators among employers and individuals,
in particular the qualifications requirements, knowledge/skills/experience requirements,
and job functions for particular jobs in the labour market
 help employers to make informed recruitment decisions
 help individuals to make informed study and career decisions.

59
5.2.5 Industry validation: Jobs and employability indicators of the QFEmirates
Most members of the industry advisory group agreed with the following findings and
observations about jobs and employability indicators of the QFEmirates:
 Employers’ level of understanding of qualification requirements and knowledge, skills and
experience (KSE) requirements varies from a good level of understanding to a lower level
of understanding.
 Employers had higher level of understanding of jobs requiring Diploma/Associate degree
qualifications or above and a lower level of understanding of jobs that require a
Certificate 4 qualification or lower.
 There is a need for infrastructure that performs a regulatory function for vocational
education and training (VET) qualifications at below Diploma/Associate degree; a need
that has led to the establishment of the National Qualifications Authority.
Member comments:
 “Most of these reflect on the banking system and not necessarily on the other aspects
and industries that participate in the economic development of the country. When
aligning the QF to industries, they should be equally represented”.
 “The employability indicators at level 6 and below seem to be set too high when
compared to existing employees”.
 “I believe that recruitment agencies may recruit from overseas on a primarily numeric
basis i.e. do not match the required skills with the vacancy they are filling, hence often
the recruited individual cannot competently perform the tasks of the job. Making the
recruiter pay for the training of these individuals they have provided would remedy
inappropriate recruiting practices”.
 One member rightly stated that the “sample size of inquired employers (83 responses)
decreases the reliability of conclusions”.
5.3 CORELIFE SKILLS
5.3.1 Importance of CoreLife Skills
What generic (CoreLife) skills are important to employers?
Participants indicated the importance of the following CoreLife Skills to their organisation:
 Collecting, analysing, organising and applying information in a given context
 Communicating information, concepts and ideas
 Initiating and organising self and activities, including motivation, exploration and creativity
 Working with others in teams including leadership
 Solving problems including using mathematical ideas and techniques

60
 Applying information and communication technology (ICT)
 Participating in social and civic life including ethical practice
Finding: Participants were most likely to indicate all the CoreLife Skills were ‘important’ or ‘very
important’ (as opposed to ‘not important’ or ‘somewhat important’) to their organisation. ‎Figure
5 shows that ‘teamwork skills’, ‘communication skills’ and ‘initiating and organising skills’ were of
most importance to their organisation.
Figure 5 Ranking of CoreLife Skills by level of importance to participants
5.3.2 Satisfaction with graduates’ CoreLife Skills
How satisfied are employers with the CoreLife Skills of graduates? i.e. graduates who have less
than two years work experience after finishing university, college and/or school.
Finding: Employers were most likely to indicate they were ‘satisfied’ with graduates’ level of
CoreLife Skills.
Finding: Employers indicated they were ‘most’ satisfied with graduates’ ICT skills and
teamwork skills and ‘least’ satisfied with graduates’ initiating and organising skills (‎Figure 6).
Participating in social and civic life including ethical
practice
Applying information and communication technology
(ICT)
Solving problems including using mathematical ideas
and techniques
Collecting, analysing and applying information in a
given context
Initiating and organising self and activities, including
motivation, exploration and creativity
Communicating information, concepts and ideas
Working with others in teams including leadership Most important
Least important

61
Figure 6 Participant satisfaction with graduates’ CoreLife Skills (ranked)
5.3.3 Observations: CoreLife Skills
The quality of CoreLife Skills of graduates seeking employment is an ongoing concern
expressed by industry and in many related studies. Participants indicated teamwork,
communication and initiating and organising skills were the most important skills to their
organisation. These results are similar to those of CEOs who participated in a survey as part of
the Arab Human Capital Challenge report, 2007: Voice of CEOs31. They indicated
communication and teamwork were the most important skills to business leaders. It is
important to note that employer expectations of graduates may be too high, expecting
graduates to be ‘work competent’ rather than ‘work ready’.
Educational institutions are progressively addressing the challenge of improving graduates’
generic (CoreLife) skills through their teaching methods and program/course content. In
relation to higher education in the UAE, the Commission for Academic Accreditation (CAA) in
late 2011 adopted the emerging QFEmirates as part of its licensure and accreditation
standards and now requires institutes to align their programs to it. However, improvements to
the level of graduates’ CoreLife Skills are likely to be incremental given many institutional
qualifications/programs have accreditation periods of four (4) to five (5) years before review.
General education outcomes of the Secondary School Certificate are aligned to level four
(4) of the QFEmirates. At this stage, the UAE Ministry of Education has not adopted any policy
related to embedding CoreLife Skills in the Secondary School Certificate.
Given no infrastructure in relation to the vocational education and training sector has existed
until recently (with the establishment of the National Qualifications Authority), it will be some
time before CoreLife Skills are embedded in vocational qualifications.
31 Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Foundation (2007). Arab Human Capital Challenge: The Voice of CEOs.
Retrieved November 19, 2012, from http://www.mbrfoundation.ae/English/Documents/AHCC-
%20English.pdf.
Initiating and organising self and activities, including
motivation, exploration and creativity
Participating in social and civic life including ethical
practice
Solving problems including using mathematical ideas
and techniques
Communicating information, concepts and ideas
Collecting, analysing and applying information in a
given context
Working with others in teams including leadership
Applying information and communication technology
(ICT)
Least satisfied
Most satisfied

62
5.3.4 Industry validation: CoreLife Skills
Most members agreed with the following findings and observations about CoreLife Skills:
 Employers surveyed were ‘satisfied’ with the graduates’ level of CoreLife Skills, most
satisfied with graduates’ ICT skills and teamwork skills, and least satisfied with graduates’
initiating and organising skills
 The higher education sector will increasingly embed CoreLife Skills in their teaching
methods and program content due to CAA’s adoption of the QFEmirates and resulting
changes to its licensure and accreditation standards. As the Ministry of Education has not
adopted the QFEmirates and the Federal Government only established the National
Qualifications Authority in 2010, embedding of CoreLife Skills in the Secondary School
Certificate and vocational qualifications will take some time.
Member comment:
 “CoreLife Skills are also related to cultural background and that is one reason why in most
private organisations, certain cultural groups are preferred above others. Issues need to be
addressed in educational institutions however, it may be too late for those who have already
completed their formal education and are not entering the workforce. Also, there are some
who are in the workforce and do not have the skills that may be having a ripple effect on the
economic development of the country. A skilled workforce enhances the economic
development of a country for example, the Scandinavian countries, Singapore, Canada, etc.”
5.4 RECRUITMENT OF GRADUATES
5.4.1 Factors influencing recruitment decisions
What factors influence employers when employing graduates?
Finding: As shown in ‎Figure 7, participants preferred graduates with formal qualifications (72% of
all participants) followed by work experience (59%) and CoreLife Skills (57%).
Figure 7 Factors influencing employers when employing graduates (% of participants)
72%
59% 57%
51% 51%
44%
38%
9%
Most
influential
factor
Least influential
factor

63
5.4.2 Observations: Factors influencing employers’ recruitment decisions
Almost 60% of the participants considered work experience an important factor influencing
graduate employment, which for para-professional qualifications and above typically occurs
after achievement of a qualification. Employers are increasingly looking for graduates who
have acquired work placement experience:
 during their study or holiday periods and/or
 through some type of related and concurrent part/full time employment prior to
graduating.
Many higher education students who participated in this project indicated an interest in
building closer relationships with employers. Internships are one way for students “to build their
resume and professional network and [they] are likely to seek out these same organisations for
full-time employment after graduation”.32 Some examples of internship programs available in
the UAE are as follows:
 The Mawaheb internship program (a partnership between Imagenation Abu Dhabi and
the Abu Dhabi Film Commission) provides Emirati students with an interest in filmmaking to
gain hands-on experience abroad.33
 The Dubai School of Government internship program for undergraduate and graduate
students provides “students the opportunity to work with faculty on a variety of cutting-
edge topics and gain valuable research experience necessary for pursing graduate
studies or a career in public policy”.34
 Masdar Institute of Science and Technology offers summer internships for university students
(who are UAE Nationals majoring in science, engineering or computer science) to
undertake a specific project over a six-week period. Students live in on-campus housing at
the Masdar Institute and receive a monthly stipend.35
 Students at the College of Science at UAE University are required to undertake an
internship for each of their majors. The university has a dedicated internship unit that
arranges internships. One aim of the internships is to provide “students with the required
applied skills by training them how to operate the highly advanced technical instruments
available in the different areas of the country”. 36
32 Khaleej Times (2011, January 4). Internships offer great opportunities. Retrieved from
http://www.khaleejtimes.com/displayarticle.asp?xfile=data/theuae/2011/January/theuae_January70.xml&se
ction=theuae&col=
33 UAE Interact (2010, October 27). Imagenation Abu Dhabi and Abu Dhabi Film Commission Place Candidates
on “Mawaheb” Internship Program. Retrieved from
http://www.uaeinteract.com/docs/Imagenation_Abu_Dhabi_and_Abu_Dhabi_Film_Commission_place_cand
idates_on_Mawaheb_Internship_Program/43100.htm
34 Dubai School of Government (2013). Internships. Retrieved January 25, 2013, from
http://www.dsg.ae/en/Menu/index.aspx?PriMenuID=1&CatID=58&SubCatID=31&RefID=0&mnu=SubCat&Asp
xAutoDetectCookieSupport=1
35 Masdar Institute (2013). Summer internships. Retrieved January 25, 2013, from
http://www.masdar.ac.ae/Summerinternships.html
36 UAE College of Science (2013). Internship Unit. Retrieved January 25, 2013, from
http://www.fsc.uaeu.ac.ae/fos_units_internship_unit.asp

64
In the VET sector, the learning and practice-based qualifications recognised worldwide are
apprenticeships or cadetships. However, these qualifications have not made significant
inroads in becoming mainstream, credible and recognised programs in the community as a
viable career path option for students, particularly UAE Nationals. Fortunately, heavy industry
sectors in the UAE (such as oil, energy, aluminium and shipbuilding) use and recognise
apprenticeships and cadetships.
There is considerable scope here for new opportunities. However, currently there are few
national VET providers with adequate infrastructure mechanisms to support the promotion,
delivery and management of apprenticeships and/or cadetships. Companies largely
manage existing programs themselves (such as ADNOC, Dubal and Emal) and may use
narrow specialist training providers. Given that specialist providers are usually unable to
provide a national qualification, they may instead provide a recognised qualification from
another country.
This project did not investigate the extent to which students gain exposure to the workplace
during their studies, the range of programs currently available to students in the UAE (e.g.
internships, apprenticeships, cadetships) and the effectiveness of these programs in providing
students with genuine workplace experience that increases their employability. There is a
need for further research that addresses these areas of inquiry and recommends the type of
programs that would benefit students undertaking courses where learning, practice and
exposure to the workplace during the study period is critical. These programs should develop
higher recognition and acceptance among employers and help meet their need for
graduates with some world of work experience.
5.4.3 Qualification requirements of employers
What level of qualifications are employers typically seeking when recruiting graduates?
Finding: When employing graduates, 81% of participants indicated a Bachelor degree was
the most relevant qualification to their organisation’s needs (‎Figure 8). Participants were more
likely to indicate that post-graduate qualifications (Masters degree and Graduate Diploma)
were more relevant to their organisation than qualifications at the Diploma/Associate degree
level or lower, particularly Certificate qualifications.

65
Figure 8 Qualification of most relevance when employing graduates (% of participants)
5.4.4 Observations: Qualification requirements of employers
The increasing incident of employers seeking formal educational qualifications for para-
professionals and above may be due to other intrinsic issues at play. Employers may use
qualifications as a mechanism and recruitment tool to:
 filter potential applicants
 simplify selection processes
 determine the future potential of a candidate for current and prospective higher level
jobs
 restrict entry into employment.
This approach of employers preferring to recruit individuals with higher education
qualifications disadvantages individuals who may have acquired over time competence and
expert skills in a field of work but do not hold a formal educational qualification. The higher
education system has had little experience or appetite in recognising prior learning in its
programs. This particular issue was a key factor in the establishment of the National
Qualifications Authority. Many personnel from the UAE military and police for instance, with
many years of experience at high levels, have been unable to have their experiences
recognised in the form of an educational qualification.
Further to the above observation, recognising non-formal and informal learning has become
an important issue across most developed and developing countries and used to engage
and encourage individuals to pursue lifelong learning. Respective governments have noted
that individuals with highly developed skills with no formal qualifications are a key resource for
the economy and worthy of recognition and continued development.
6%
41%
36%
81%
29%
16%
4%
0% 0% 0% 1%
Most relevant
qualification

66
In addition, much new learning is occurring in modern workplaces with education and
training providers unable to keep pace with changes in technology, processes and systems to
provide contemporary learning experiences. This particular issue is most evident in
qualifications below para-professional where workplace learning, experience and practice
dominate. Few national qualifications exist in the UAE that can be awarded to individuals with
considerable workplace expertise and competence. This in turn affects the engagement of
these individuals in lifelong learning.
The over reliance on higher education qualifications as an entry point to employment in the
UAE means some qualified graduates work in occupations below their real level of
qualification outcome. The resultant effect may be a higher ‘churn’ rate than normal of
employees over time. Overqualified employees may become despondent, anxious and
attempt to move on as they may feel their qualification is undervalued and underutilised.
There has been some experience in this regard in the Banking sector where the ‘churn’ rate
among qualified UAE Nationals is quite high. Employees working in lower level occupations
despite their considerable workplace experience and competence also affect efficiency
and productivity of the labour market as well as economic gains that could be realised for
the country.
Consequently, overqualified individuals in occupations below their qualification outcome and
highly experienced individuals working in lower level occupations represent wasted resources
by government, employers and/or individuals who have invested in the learning process.
5.4.5 Recruitment methods of employers
What methods do employers typically use to recruit graduates?
Finding: Two-thirds (67%) of participants indicated that they advertise their graduate positions
on their organisation’s website. Just over one half (53%) go through educational institutions to
recruit graduates (‎Figure 9).
Figure 9 Methods used by employers to recruit graduates (% of employers)
67%
57%
53% 53%
35%
32%
15%
Advertising on
own website
Word of mouth
(colleagues,
friends, family,
networks)
Graduates
approach your
organisation
directly
Through
educational
institutions
Recruitment
agencies
Advertising in
newspapers
Other
Most used
recruitment
method
Least used
recruitment
method

67
5.4.6 Observations: Recruitment methods of employers
There is significant scope for developing more formal links and relationships with educational
institutions in terms of recruitment processes for graduates. Arrangements in the form of
internships, cadetships and apprenticeships as previously discussed should build a stronger
relationship between educational institutions and employers. Closer industry bonds can also
help institutions to provide careers advice based on current and future employer needs.
It is interesting to note the findings from the both the higher education survey and secondary
school survey correlate with this observation – 31% of higher education students and 27% of
secondary school students who responded to the respective survey have not received
careers advice. These findings indicate the need for greater efforts to provide such advice,
particularly advice in the form of high quality information about the UAE labour market.
Based on the above observation, it is fair to suggest there is a need for greater effort to
improve matching employer demand with the supply of graduates at an educational and
training system level. This effort should include providing graduates with improved publicly
available information about where the future jobs will be in the economy. This information
should align to the economic vision of the country (e.g. UAE Vision 2021) and help students to:
 correctly select the field of study best suited to them
 understand future labour market demand for their preferred future occupation i.e. will
there be jobs available in their preferred occupation when they graduate?
 evaluate the currency of study programs in light of changing industry needs and trends.
Timely and industry-focussed careers information should also improve employer to institution
relationships, thereby enhancing the employability outcomes of graduates. Another proven
and effective approach to developing this information bridge is through formal collaborative
stakeholder mechanisms. These mechanisms encourage industry, government, education
and training providers, individuals and community stakeholders to work together to develop
and maintain the most current labour and education and training market information.
5.4.7 Employers’ awareness of Tanmia
Are employers aware of Tanmia, the UAE government body that helps them to recruit Emirati
job seekers?
Finding: 58% of the participants were aware of the National Human Resource Development
and Employment Authority, better known as Tanmia. Combined, over 40% of participants
were not aware or unsure of the existence of Tanmia (‎Figure 10).

68
Figure 10 Employers’ awareness of Tanmia
5.4.8 Observations: Employers’ awareness of Tanmia
Tanmia’s mission is “to become a pioneer and leading country in the development and
empowerment of national human resources (HR) towards a qualified and competitive
workforce”.37 The Authority provides Emirati job seekers with access to training, career
guidance and employment vacancies, and employers with a national website to advertise
their vacancies and access CVs of UAE Nationals. In addition, employers that achieve the
employment quota of UAE Nationals are upgraded to class A status in the Ministry of Labour,
which means they are excluded from the need for a bank guarantee.
This project found that many employers who participated in this project were not aware or
unsure of Tanmia’s existence, which is concerning given it commenced operations in
November 2000. Further research that explores the issue of brand awareness could be
worthwhile. This research undertaken in partnership with Tanmia could also:
 assess employment outcomes of Emiratis – this component of the research would align
with the Tanmia function of “following up and evaluating employment of nationals in the
public and private sectors”.38
 gauge satisfaction levels of employers and Emiratis who have used Tanmia’s services
 develop success indicators for each service
 recommend a strategy to raise awareness of Tanmia’s existence and its services.
37 Tanmia (2013). Vision, Mission and Values. Retrieved January 25, 2013, from
http://www.tanmia.ae/Content/mission.aspx
Yes
58%
No
33%
Unsure
9%

69
5.4.9 Industry validation: Recruitment of graduates
All members agreed with the findings and observations about the recruitment of graduates.
 A higher education qualification (particularly a Bachelor degree) is the most influential
factor for employers when recruiting graduates, followed by the factor of relevant work
experience. To gain work experience during the study period, members supported
internships, apprenticeships and cadetships that provide students with learning, practice
and exposure to the workplace. Therefore, there is a need for educational institutions to
strengthen formal links and relationships with employers.
 Employers are less interested in individuals who have competence and skills in a field of
work but do not hold a formal qualification, confirming the recognition of prior learning is a
key challenge for the UAE.
 Employing graduates with higher education qualifications as an entry point to
employment may lead to overqualified employees working in lower level occupations and
higher ‘churn’ rates of these employees.
 There is a need for mechanisms that enable industry, government education and training
providers, individuals and community stakeholders to work together to develop the most
current labour and education and training market information for students.
 There is a need for awareness raising activities to inform employers of the existence of Tanmia.
Member comments:
 “Often the starting salary, particularly for UAE nationals, is determined by the highest
qualification held by the employee; this provides motivation for students to remain in
education beyond the level needed to secure a suitable position. Institutes that allow a
student onto a Masters program with less than 5 years real-world experience are cheating
the students of the opportunity to link their learning with real problems and
developments”.
 “I personally recruited a graduate from Middlesex University who copied and pasted
everything and now have a lady from the Philippines who does twice as much work, in less
time, creatively and can solve problems with less education. I hired her through word of
mouth. If you know someone who can refer you to quality, do it. Quality embeds quality
and referrals are 100% guaranteed”.
 “Over qualification when accepting lower range job could be just a 'ticket' for a next,
better opportunity”.

70
5.5 HIRING INTENTIONS OF EMPLOYERS
5.5.1 Hiring intentions over the next 2 years
Do employers intend to employ more people or less people over the next two years or will
their staff levels remain the same?
Finding: The majority of participants (82%) indicated their organisation is likely to have more
employees in two years time. Only 5% of participants indicated their organisation would have
fewer employees than they have now (‎Figure 11).
Figure 11 Employers’ staff levels in two years time
5.5.2 Observations: Employers’ hiring intentions over the next two years
These findings about hiring intentions over the next two years support the UAE Central Bank’s
positive outlook of the UAE economy, forecasting a 4% growth over the next year.39 Although
this expected growth is likely to improve graduates’ future employment prospects, there is
uncertainty about which industry sectors will generate more opportunities for graduates.
The UAE Vision 2021 and specific Abu Dhabi and Dubai Emirate Vision statements 2030 and
2015 respectively are instructive instruments in this regard. The major priorities of the Federal
Government are the expansion of the private sector and engineering the UAE towards a
modern 21st century internationally competitive economy. As the Government recognises
that the private sector is the engine room of modern economies, entrepreneurship and
innovation, it is committed to making every effort to nurture, stimulate and expand this sector
of the economy.
39 UAE Central Bank (2012). Growth: Financial Stability Review, September 2012. Central Bank of the UAE.
Retrieved October 19, 2012, from
http://www.centralbank.ae/en/pdf/reports/FinancialStabilityReportSept2012.pdf
More
employees
82%
Less employees
5%
No change
10%
Unsure
3%

71
Proportionally therefore, the majority of new jobs are most likely to emerge in the private
sector. The public sector in contrast will most likely reduce relative to the private sector
although remain on a growth trajectory. Many new jobs in the public sector will be associated
with regulatory and compliance functions as well as policy formulation and advice to support
the expanding private sector. As a result, general administrative functions sector in the public
sector are likely to experience the most impact.
Younger UAE Nationals and residents may not fully understand UAE’s vision to expand the
private sector relative to the public sector. Data from the higher education survey and
secondary school survey indicate that many students believe there will be more jobs in the
public sector in the future. In addition, their salary expectations (at least AED 20,000 a month
for many students) are unrealistic.
Take the professional occupation of a mechanical engineer as an example. The Ministry of
Labour’s labour management information system (LMIS) indicated the median salary for a
mechanical engineer working in the private sector was AED 12,000 a month in April 2012.
Hayes’ 2012 salary guide states that for a mechanical engineer, the minimum monthly salary
is AED 15,000 and the maximum monthly salary is AED 25,000.40
It should also be noted that employers can readily recruit comparable expatriate labour for a
lower cost and potentially with much more experience and who, by and large, would be
willing to accept what the private sector pays.
As at September 2012, the Abu Dhabi Emiratisation Council (Tawteen) is reported to have
around 17,000 UAE Nationals on their unemployment list in search of employment, with most
expressing a preference for public sector employment. Therefore, the current experience of
proportionally higher unemployment among UAE Nationals compared to expatriates is likely
to continue for some time.
A suggestion to address this issue is establishing a social benefit (wage) paid directly to the
individual (UAE National) rather than a supplement to the employer to pay the employee. This
social benefit (wage) could be provided extraneously (separately) and deployed to
augment the direct salary received in employment in the private sector. This should also
include an additional amount being set aside related to assuring each receives a pension
comparable and in line with the public sector. Providing this social support wage and pension
top-up separate from the employer ensures it does not impact on the employer’s operational
and salary costs or duplicate administration processes for employers. It should lead to
enhanced interest and attractiveness of occupations and careers in the private sector.
40 Hayes (2012). Hays UAE 2012 Salary Guide, Retrieved December 12, 2012, from http://www.hays.ae/general-
content/HAYS_161041

72
5.5.3 Occupations expected to change or decline
If employers expect their staff numbers to change over the next two years:
 which occupations will they require if they expect their staff numbers to rise?
 which occupations will they require less of if they expect their staff numbers to decline?
Finding: As shown in ‎Figure 12, the analysis of responses from participants found that the
occupations expected to grow most over the next two years were led by engineering and
industrial occupations. Other occupations expected to be in demand were account executives
and business development personnel followed by administration, analysts and accounting
professions in general. Demand for lower level administration jobs is expected to decline.
Figure 12 Growth sectors over the next two years
Engineering - Industrial,
Construction, Energy,
Utilities and
Manufacturing, 47
Business Administraion
and Financial Services -
Business Development,
16
Business Administration
Management and
Administration, 14
Arts, Culture and
Entertainment -
Multimedia, 14
Marketing and Sales, 12
Accounting and
Financial, 11
Analysts and Research,
10
Tourism, Hospitality and
Leisure Services, 9
HR, 6
Other: Banking, Legal,
Community Health and
Social Services, Logistics
and Transport,
Education Learning and
Social Development, 10
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Ranking

73
5.5.4 Observations: Occupations expected to change or decline
The findings in relation to the most likely occupations to grow over the next two years (i.e.
engineering and industrial occupations) are consistent with published data from
GulfTalent.com (2012), Bayt (2012) and HireMena. GulfTalent.com is forecasting oil and gas,
retail and healthcare will continue to dominate jobs growth, while the banking and
construction sectors will continue to experience the lowest growth rates in the Gulf region.
An interesting outcome from the employer survey was in relation to the responses received for
administration occupations. Most participants reported growth in related administrative
occupations whilst several participants were negative. This may be due to continued
changes in work organisation and technology that create greater demand for higher level
jobs to analyse and manage the new information, processes and efficiencies. It is unlikely that
higher level jobs will replace lower level jobs on a one-to-one basis in real terms.
5.5.5 Industry validation: Hiring intentions of employers
Members agreed with the following findings and observations about the hiring intentions of
employers.
 Employers are likely to have more employees in two years time, which is likely to improve
graduates’ growth prospects particularly in the private sector. This growth is expected to
be led by engineering and industrial occupations.
Two members supported and two members did not support a social benefit (wage) paid
directly to the individual (rather than a supplement to the employer to pay the employee) as
a way to enhance graduates’ interest in occupations and careers in the private sector.
Member comment:
 “To build a work ethic the rewards MUST be linked to performance in the workplace.
Providing a Social Wage without linking it to workplace attendance and performance
does nothing to establish a build a future proof work ethic. The Social Wage should be a
Workplace Supplement, which would top-up the salary level of an equivalent expatriate
worker to the minimum agreed salary for a UAE National, paid by the government”.
5.6 ORGANISATIONAL FACTORS
Researchers were interested in how organisational type (multi-national, national and
local/Emirate), sector (public and private) and size (number of employees) may affect the
findings presented in this chapter. Given the small sample size (83 employer survey returns),
reliable analysis using these variables was not possible. Therefore, the following observations
about organisational factors do not respond to a particular research question.

74
5.6.1 Observations: Organisational factors
Given larger organisations and in particular, public sector and government related entities
(GREs), are better placed to effect policy changes, the development and implementation of
major policy initiatives is best managed through these bodies. They become the vanguard of
change that medium to small private sector establishments (which often interconnect and
interface with these larger organisations) can progressively adopt.
For instance, the roll-out and take up of the QFEmirates with related infrastructure and
regulation (quality assurance) for the VET sector can be accelerated by promoting and
pioneering such through multi-national and large national organisations both private and
public respectively. The benefits from improved understanding and use of national VET
qualifications and a common platform for national occupational descriptions are:
 a more productive, educated, informed and highly skilled workforce
 improved knowledge and use of national workforce data for international and national
alignments
 improvements in a country’s economic competitiveness, standing of living and social
development.
Furthermore, the QFEmirates would best be rolled-out as part of a larger scale education and
training system-wide reform strategy. Greater emphasis would need to be given to holistic
improvements in underpinning infrastructure and regulation (quality assurance mechanism),
supported by quality research, coordinated nationally across all education and training
sectors in concert with industry, and guided by a nationally approved specific human capital
strategy. This strategy would aim to improve the quality of educational outcomes and its
relationship with the needs of the labour market. The National Qualifications Authority is
responsible for the development and implementation of this strategy.
5.6.2 Industry validation: Organisational factors
Members agreed with the following observations about the role of larger organisations:
 Given that larger organisations, particularly in the public sector and government related
entities (GMEs), are better placed to effect policy changes, these organisations are more
able to lead the roll-out and take up of the QFEmirates and promote the understanding
and use of VET qualifications.

75
5.7 GENERAL COMMENTS
5.7.1 Research Question 12
Participants were asked to contribute open comments on related matters.
Finding: Notable responses to this question listed below generally reflect similar views and
perceptions reported in related research literature. For example, the distance or mismatch
between the quality and/or relevance of the qualification (a graduate’s achievements); the
aptitude and abilities (a graduate’s predisposition for and in employment); and the
expectations with the needs of labour market (employers):
 “Motivation and life skills are the key, everything else we can train, but if someone is not
motivated and engaged there is little we can do for them”.
 “My general impression of graduates in the UAE and abroad is that their academic
qualifications are good, but that in too many cases their work ethic is not. Some also have
problems taking responsibility for their work and solving problems”.
 “The best employees are proactive, interested and have a work ethic”.
 “Many graduates enter the workforce with no basic overall knowledge of culture, history,
geography, literature and/or philosophy or even language. Colleges should not only
teach skills but also develop their analytical skills, which is most of the time missing”.
 “I will never look to hire students from the university again - they have been the biggest
disappointment on all fronts. The Careers Office could not even respond to me when I
mentioned their students completely left the project without saying a word or answering
their phones. If these graduates aren't getting anywhere, it's their own fault and not for
lack of opportunities”.
 “Universities need to work with employers hand in hand”.
 “An open, driven, proactive here to learn character is what we would seek from
graduates. Broadcasting documentary videos on TV with different industries and jobs will
help students understand how different jobs look like and they will have an idea about
what is available in the market to decide on the qualification they would like to acquire”.
 “Many years of relevant verifiable experience plus intelligence and enthusiasm are much
more valuable than qualifications”.
 “This survey focuses very much on educational qualifications. Therefore, most of the
choices are not applicable to the retail industry. In the retail industry, a typical career path
starts from the shop floor, followed by becoming a store manager and moving on as a
category/product manager or department manager and ultimately becoming an area
manager. So, work experience on the sales floor is essential, more important than formal
qualification. As far as other roles are concerned such as Accounts, Administration,
Marketing etc., a Bachelor's degree is our minimum requirement”.

76
5.7.2 Observations: General comments
Common themes identified from the responses by participants were:
 the issues of graduate motivation, work ethic, proactiveness and ‘here to learn’ character
 the importance of strong institutional and industry ties.
There are many challenges in attending to the issue of graduate attributes. In many cases,
these challenges are behavioural and may stem from an array of structural issues in early
cycle education systems maturity and direction, culture and cultural perceptions, and
individual preferences in the community, education sector, government and employers.
Nonetheless, a suggested way forward as indicated by several comments is for employers
and institutions to work closer together and where necessary, extended to include
government and the wider community.
The UAE Government is leading the sea change in education and training reform, with a
vision for the nation in terms of human capital development whilst expanding and integrating
the UAE economy into the emerging globalisation and knowledge economy. These reforms
include:
 the much heralded and widely publicised reform of the school education system across
the UAE
 establishing the National Qualifications Authority (NQA) as the national leadership body to
oversee education and training (particularly vocational education and training) and its
relationship with the labour market
 new licensure and accreditation standards introduced by the CAA to require institutions to
develop closer links with employers in the market as part of its licensure and/or re-licensure
requirements.
These changes will take some time to flow through and be realised (perhaps in another 12 to
20 years) as cycles of the education system are of a long duration. Much more needs to be
done to transform the UAE into a 21st century internationally competitive economy. Reforms
need to invigorate future graduates’ desire to be part of, and if possible, influence the sea
change underway. Graduates need to be able to face challenges, understand the
importance of being innovative, develop an entrepreneurial spirit, and pursue lifelong
learning and workplace careers.
The suggestion in the comments of the importance of developing closer ties between
institutions and employers is an essential way forward. Steps should be supported to establish
and strengthen such relationships. Those that develop relationships should be applauded
publicly, wherever and whenever it occurs. Relationship building should become part of any
new initiative and/or requirement where reform of the education and training system and
labour market interface is critical.

77
5.7.3 Industry validation: General comments
Members agreed with the general comments by employers. One member suggested “the
old Industry Training Boards model of the UK and Scotland are a good starting point”.
Member comment:
A final comment made by a member of the expert group is also relevant here:
 “A major comment is that the views expressed in my response to the survey are my personal
views and may not be those of [my employer]. Vocational Education has taken a long time
to be accepted in the UAE, particularly for UAE Nationals, although the range of
employment opportunities are predominantly skills based. Aligning the future education and
career advice with the potential opportunities for employment would be a great step
forward in ensuring that the right UAE National is recruited into the right job at the right time.
Encouraging ongoing lifelong learning for career development and life enhancement
would then be the next step in building the nation into a 21st Century leader”.
5.8 CHAPTER SUMMARY
Key findings emerging from the analysis of the employer data are as follows:
 There were variations in participants’ level of understanding of qualification, knowledge, skills
and experience (KSE) requirements associated with particular jobs, which have affected their
level of understanding of the employability indicators in the QFEmirates. Most participants had
a good level of understanding of function verbs associated with particular jobs.
 In terms of qualifications, participants generally had a good understanding of occupations at
the para-professional level and above that require a qualification at Diploma/Associate
degree level and above. They had a lower level of understanding of occupations that require
a qualification at Certificate 4 level or below.
 Participants indicated all CoreLife Skills were important to their organisation, particularly
teamwork skills, communication skills, and initiating and organising skills. They were generally
satisfied with graduates’ level of CoreLife Skills, particularly graduates’ ICT skills and teamwork
skills. However, participants were least satisfied with graduates’ initiating and organising skills.
 When recruiting graduates, participants placed particular importance on graduates having
formal qualifications (72% of all participants), work experience (59%) and CoreLife Skills (57%).
 Participants preferred graduates with Bachelor degree qualifications (81%), perhaps as a way
to filter applicants. Participants were more likely to indicate that post-graduate qualifications
(Masters degree and Graduate Diploma) were more relevant than qualifications at the
Diploma/Associate degree level or lower, particularly Certificate qualifications.
 Participants indicated their organisations use a range of methods to recruit graduates, in
particular advertising positions on their website (67% of all participants), word of mouth (57%)
and through educational institutions (53%).
 There is a need for greater promotional and brand awareness of Tanmia given that 40% of
participants indicated they were not aware of Tanmia or unsure of the Authority’s existence.

78
 Growth prospects of employment numbers over the next two years are highly positive, with
82% of participants indicating their organisation is likely to have more employees in two years
time. Participants identified engineering and industrial occupations as occupations in highest
demand followed by account executives, business development, administration, analysts
and accounting professions.
 Larger organisations and in particular, public sector and government related entities (GREs),
are better equipped to effect significant changes and implement initiatives than small to
medium sized organisations. As frontline bodies, they can help smaller players to adopt
changes and initiatives progressively. The roll-out and take up of the QFEmirates could be
hastened and best achieved via these bodies.
 As part of the survey, employers were able to express additional thoughts. Common themes
were the importance of improving graduate motivation, work ethic, proactiveness and ‘here
to learn’ character, and strengthening ties between institutions and employers.
 Overall, members of the industry expert group validated findings and observations
presented in this section, although one member was rightly concerned about sample size
(83 returns from employers).

79
Chapter 6: Perspectives of secondary school students
14 years
9%
15 years
27%
16 years
27%
17 years
25%
18 years
11%
Other
1%
No response
0%
6. Perspectives of secondary
school students
This chapter presents and discusses findings from a 33-question
survey that discovered career aspirations of 803 secondary
school students, the support they need to help them achieve
these aspirations, and their knowledge of the UAE labour market.
Responses from Applied Technology High Schools/Institutes of Applied Technology in Abu
Dhabi, Fujairah and Sharjah accounted for 70% of all survey returns. Of the 18 participating
schools, 10 were public schools. For the number of secondary school participants by school
name and type (public or private), go to:
‎Figure 13 illustrates the following key characteristics of participants:
 Returns from Abu Dhabi and Fujairah combined accounted for 72% of all returns.
 There was a mix of students by age, ranging from 13 years to 21 years of age.
 Males (86%) and UAE Nationals (78%) accounted for the majority of returns.
 Students in Grade 10 accounted for almost half of all returns (49%).
Figure 13 Demographic characteristics of secondary school students
Abu Dhabi
45%
Dubai
2%
Fujairah
27%
Sharjah
11%
Ras Al
Khaimah
13%
Ajman
2%
Umm Al
Quwain
0.1%
No response
0.2%
Location Age

80
Emirati
78%
Non-Emirati
20%
No response
2%
Grade 12
19%
Grade 11
29%
Grade 10
49%
No response
3%
Male
86%
Female
13%
No response
1%
Gender
6.2 STUDY DECISIONS AND INTENTIONS
6.2.1 Intentions after finishing school
Are secondary school students more likely to continue their studies or find a job after finishing
school?
Finding: The majority of students intend to continue their studies after finishing school, mainly
at a university of college (73%) rather than at a vocational institute (4%) (‎Figure 14).
Combined, only 12% intend to ‘get a job’ or ‘get a job and be trained at the same time’.
Nationality
Grade

81
Figure 14 Intentions of secondary school students after finishing their studies
6.2.2 Preferred fields of study
For those secondary school students intending to continue their studies, what are their
preferred fields of study in the future?
Finding: Due to the high number of returns from male students from Applied Technology High
Schools, Engineering and Engineering Trades was the field of most interest to students (‎Figure
15).
Finding: By gender, Engineering and Engineering Trades was the field of study of most interest
to male students (36% of male students). Health was the field of most interest to female
students (22% of female students) (‎Table 11).
Finding: By nationality, Engineering and Engineering Trades was the field of study of most
interest to Emiratis (37% of Emirati students). Business and Administration (18% of non-Emiratis),
Engineering and Engineering Trades (18%) and Health (17%) were the fields of study of most
interest to non-Emiratis (‎Table 11).
Study
university or
college
73%
Study at
vocational
institute
4%
Get a job
4%
Get a job
and be
trained at
same time
8%
Have a break
for a year or
more
1%
Unsure
5% Other
4.5%

82
Figure 15 Preferred future fields of study
Table 11 Preferred future fields of study by gender and nationality
Field of study Male Female Emirati
Non-
Emirati
Total
Education 20 (2.9%) 1 (1%) 17 (2.8%) 3 (1.9%) 21 (2.6%)
Humanities 3 (0.4%) 1 (1%) 1 (0.2%) 3 (1.9%) 4 (0.5%)
Arts 9 (1.3%) 6 (5.8%) 7 (1.1%) 8 (5.2%) 15 (1.9%)
Social & behavioural science 3 (0.4%) 5 (4.9%) 3 (0.5%) 5 (3.2%) 8 (1%)
Journalism & information 2 (0.3%) 3 (2.9%) 3 (0.5%) 2 (1.3%) 5 (0.6%)
Business & administration 41 (6%) 13 (12.6%) 23 (3.7%) 28 (18.1%) 54 (6.7%)
Law 14 (2%) 4 (3.9%) 11 (1.8%) 3 (1.9%) 19 (2.4%)
Life & physical sciences 15 (2.2%) 4 (3.9%) 12 (1.9%) 7 (4.5%) 19 (2.4%)
Mathematics & statistics 19 (2.8%) 3 (2.9%) 17 (2.8%) 5 (3.2%) 23 (2.9%)
Computing & IT 40 (5.8%) 4 (3.9%) 39 (6.3%) 5 (3.2%) 46 (5.7%)
Engineering & engineering trades 246 (35.9%) 11 (10.7%) 226 (36.6%) 28 (18.1%) 258 (32.2%)
Manufacturing & processing 9 (1.3%) 0 (0%) 9 (1.5%) 0 (0%) 10 (1.2%)
Architecture 42 (6.1%) 3 (2.9%) 38 (6.2%) 6 (3.9%) 46 (5.7%)
Health 16 (2.3%) 22 (21.4%) 12 (1.9%) 26 (16.8%) 41 (5.1%)
Social work & social care 0 (0%) 2 (1.9%) 1 (0.2%) 1 (0.6%) 2 (0.2%)
Personal services 2 (0.3%) 2 (1.9%) 2 (0.3%) 2 (1.3%) 4 (0.5%)
Transport 32 (4.7%) 3 (2.9%) 26 (4.2%) 7 (4.5%) 35 (4.4%)
Environmental protection 2 (0.3%) 0 (0%) 2 (0.3%) 0 (0%) 2 (0.2%)
Security services 53 (7.7%) 2 (1.9%) 54 (8.8%) 1 (0.6%) 56 (7.0%)
Unsure 49 (7.1%) 5 (4.9%) 49 (7.9%) 3 (1.9%) 54 (6.7%)
Other 36 (5.2%) 7 (6.8%) 35 (5.7%) 7 (4.5%) 43 (5.4%)
Total (n) 686 103 617 155 801
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
Proportionofstudnets

83
6.2.3 Observations: Study decisions and intentions
The majority of secondary school students (77%) indicated an intention to study after finishing
school. Most of these students preferred to study at a university or college, with only 4%
intending to study at a vocational institution and 12% intending to find a job after finishing
school.
This project did not explore why secondary school students in the UAE were significantly less
likely to enter a vocational program – although the Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum
Foundation’s Arab Knowledge Report 200941 has explained this reluctance:
There are many reasons why the young people are reluctant to enter the vocational
stream. Prime among them is the low regard that society has for this branch of
learning. Students, therefore, flock to university programs, with the aim of obtaining
the prestige of a degree and title, even if they end up in jobs that do not require a
university education and have very little to do with the specialisation engraved on
their certificates. This is a clear manifestation of the squandering and misuse of
resources, a phenomenon that runs counter the requirements for creating a diverse
human resource capital capable of meeting the needs of comprehensive,
integrated, and sustained development.
Barriers to participation of young people in vocational programs identified by Walstab and
Lamb (2008) are also relevant to the UAE. These barriers include students not having access to
a vocational institution close to where they live, poor attainment at school, economic barriers
(low wage dividends, unemployment rates, and differences in labour markets and industry
structure in the Emirates), and cultural barriers linked to attitudes associated with social and
ethnic values and lifestyles.42
The study by Batterham and Levesley (2011)43 on behalf of the City & Guilds Centre for Skills
Development explored the awareness and understanding of vocational education of 3,313
parents and young people as well as their attitudes to, and take-up of vocational
qualifications (see key findings in ‎Table 12). Despite a good level of awareness of vocational
education, young people and parents did not fully understand its purpose, and in the case of
parents, this resulted in a lack of confidence in advising their children about vocational
qualifications. The study also found that young people questioned the value of vocational
qualifications and there was a lack of support from teachers and parents to help young
people to consider vocational options. The study recommended a campaign to address
these issues. These findings also apply to vocational education and training in the UAE.
http://www.mbrfoundation.ae/English/Documents/AKR-2009-En/AKR-English.pdf, p. 113.
42 Walstab, A. & Lamb S. (2008). Participation in vocational education and training across Australia: A regional
analysis. National Centre for Vocational Education and Training, Adelaide, Australia. Retrieved January 30,
from, http://www.ncver.edu.au/publications/1998.html, p. 10.
43 Batterham, J. & Levesley, T. (2011). New directions: Young people’s and parents’ views of vocational
education and careers guidance, City & Guilds Centre for Skills Development, Retrieved December 12, 2013,
from http://www.skillsdevelopment.org/pdf/New%20Directions.pdf

84
Table 12 Awareness and attitudes of young people and parents to vocational education
Awareness and understanding of vocational education
 High levels of awareness of the term ‘vocational education’ did not reflect a good
understanding of what it involved.
 Vocational education was seen as a skills-based and practical approach to learning.
Qualifications were felt to be designed to provide a way into generally manual trades. Young
people felt that taking vocational courses would narrow the employment and education
options open to them.
 On the whole, parents lacked the confidence to advise their children on vocational
qualifications, despite high levels of confidence advising on education and employment. This
suggests that parents are not able to support their children taking vocational options as
effectively as for other routes.
 Low levels of parental confidence make it particularly important that timely information and
advice are provided for young people considering vocational options
Attitudes to, and take up of, vocational qualifications
 Links to employment, skills and practical working were seen as real strengths of vocational
qualifications. Young people on general qualifications routes and their parents questioned the
value of vocational qualifications in enabling access to university and higher skilled jobs.
Vocational qualifications were associated with particular industry sectors and skill sets. Young
people saw them as being for people who have already decided on a particular career path.
 Low levels of involvement of teachers and parents in young people’s choice of vocational
qualification meant that young people relied instead on their own judgement of the course’s
suitability.
 The quantitative and qualitative findings suggest that parents and teachers did not challenge
young people’s perceptions of vocational qualifications. As a result, relatively few young people
on general qualifications routes had actively considered vocational options.
 A campaign challenging young people’s and parents’ perceptions of vocational qualifications
is needed to encourage young people to access their suitability more objectively.
Source: Batterham, J. & Levesley, T. (2011)44
6.2.4 Factors influencing study decisions and intentions
What factors are important to secondary school students when selecting a course?
Finding: The ‘availability of a good job after graduation’ (64% of all students) was the main
factor that will influence students when selecting a course in the future (‎Figure 16).
Finding: By gender, the factor of ‘availability of a good job after graduation’ was more
important to female students than to male students and the factor of ‘graduate salary and
conditions’ was more important to male students than to female students (‎Table 13).
Finding: By nationality, the factor of ‘availability of a good job after graduation’ was of most
importance to both Emirati and non-Emirati students. The factors of ‘status’, ‘reputation of a
particular institution’ and ‘opportunity to study overseas later’ were more important to Emirati
students than to non-Emirati students (‎Table 13).

85
Figure 16 Factors influencing students when selecting a course in the future
Table 13 Factors influencing students when selecting a course by gender and nationality
Factor Male Female Emirati Non-Emirati Total
Close to home 148 (21.6%) 19 (18.4%) 141 (22.9%) 24 (15.5%) 171 (21.3%)
Family wishes 145 (21.1%) 22 (21.4%) 137 (22.2%) 25 (16.1%) 169 (21.1%)
Course offered at a
particular institution
49 (7.1%) 10 (9.7%) 46 (7.5%) 14 (9%) 61 (7.6%)
Reputation of a particular
institution
277 (40.4%) 34 (33%) 260 (42.1%) 45 (29%) 314 (39.2%)
Entry requirements or
standards
167 (24.3%) 25 (24.3%) 155 (25.1%) 36 (23.2%) 194 (24.2%)
Opportunity to study
overseas later
264 (38.5%) 29 (28.2%) 254 (41.2%) 38 (24.5%) 299 (37.3%)
Availability of a good job
after graduation
431 (62.8%) 79 (76.7%) 398 (64.5%) 104 (67.1%) 516 (64.4%)
Graduate salary and
conditions
320 (46.6%) 37 (35.9%) 287 (46.5%) 66 (42.6%) 362 (45.2%)
Status 239 (34.8%) 23 (22.3%) 236 (38.2%) 26 (16.8%) 266 (33.2%)
Total (n) 686 103 617 155 801
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%

86
6.2.5 Observations: Factors influencing study decisions
The top factor influencing students when selecting a course (regardless of gender, age and
nationality) was the ‘availability of a good job after graduation’. The factor of ‘graduate
salary and conditions’ was also important to students, which explains why 38% of students
indicated they require a monthly salary of AED 40,000 and over before taking a job (see
Section 6.4 in this chapter).
Monthly salaries data for selected occupations from Morgan McKinley’s Salary Guide United
Arab Emirates 201245 and Hays UAE 2012 Salary Guide46 indicate students’ salary expectations
are unrealistic (‎Table 14). Almost one-third of students who participated in the survey want to
work in engineer/engineering trade occupations. However, Hayes (2012) estimated a
mechanical/electrical engineer earns, on average, a monthly basic salary of AED 20,000.
Table 14 Monthly salaries for selected occupations
Occupation Monthly basic salary (AED ) Level of job
Morgan McKinley (2012)
Business Analyst 20,000 Newly qualified
Process Engineer 12,000 Junior
Architect 18,000 Junior
Logistics Coordinator 8,000 Junior
Advertising Sales 10,000-12000 Coordinator
Marketing 15,000 Entry
Hayes (2012)
Accountant 15,000 Average salary
Mechanical/electrical engineer 20,000 Average salary
HR Officer 14,000 Average salary
Starting GP/Doctor 25-30,000 Average salary
IT programmer 15,000 Average salary
Legal secretary 17,000 Average salary
Source: Morgan McKinley (2012) and Hayes (2012)
45 Morgan McKinley (2012). Salary Guide United Arab Emirates 2012, Retrieved December 12, 2012, from
http://www.morganmckinley.ae/news/uae-salary-guide-2012
46 Hayes (2012). Hays UAE 2012 Salary Guide, Retrieved December 12, 2012, from http://www.hays.ae/general-
content/HAYS_161041

87
Further evidence of students’ unrealistic salary expectations are salaries scales from the
Federal Authority of Government Human Resources. A UAE National graduate with no work
experience would typically be appointed at Level 6 and be paid a salary of AED 13,145 a
month47. In addition, the UAE Ministry of Labour had already assessed the salary scales of
graduates when it announced a minimum monthly salary of AED 12,000 for UAE Nationals with
degrees working in companies seeking to be regarded as an ‘A’ ranking company under the
Ministry’s new classification system.48
A study on the employment habits and aspirations of 60 UAE Nationals aged 18-23 years funded
by the Emirates Foundation also found that students have unrealistic salary expectations. The
study found that 30% of participants expect a monthly salary of AED 25,000 or more and a
further 10% expect a monthly salary of AED 34,000-50,000.49
6.2.6 Secondary school students’ preparation for study
How well do secondary school students think they are prepared for further study in terms of:
 their level of confidence in undertaking independent study and research?
 their expectations of undertaking a foundation program as part of their future studies?
Finding: Students were most likely to indicate that they are ‘confident’ (39% of students) or
‘somewhat confident’ (32% of students) in undertaking independent study and research
(‎Figure 17).
Figure 17 Level of confidence in undertaking independent study and research
47 The Federal Authority for Government Human Resources (2012). Cabinet Resolution #(23) for the Year 2012
Endorsing Salary Scales in Federal Government, Retrieved December 12, 2012, from
http://www.fahr.gov.ae/portal/assets/3bef41da/cabinet-resolution-23-for-the-year-2012-endorsing-salary-
scales-in-federal-government.aspx.
48 Emirates 24 I 7 (2011). Dh12,000 minimum salary for degree holders part of new company classification policy,
Retrieved December 12, 2012, from http://www.emirates247.com/news/dh12-000-minimum-salary-for-
degree-holders-part-of-new-company-classification-policy-2011-01-11-1.340750.
49 7days Abu Dhabi (2012, May 27). Youth eye big pay packet in their first job, Retrieved from
http://www.7daysinabudhabi.com/Youth-eye-big-pay-packet-job/story-16193779-detail/story.html
Not
confident
3%
Somewhat
confident
32%
Confident
39%
Very
confident
20%
Unsure
6%

88
Finding: By gender, 64% of female students indicated they were ‘confident/very confident’ in
undertaking independent study and research compared to 59% of male students (‎Table 15).
Finding: By nationality, 70% of non-Emirati students indicated they were ‘confident/very
confident’ in undertaking independent study and research compared to 57% of Emirati
students) (‎Table 15).
Table 15 Level of confidence in undertaking independent study and research by gender
and nationality
Confidence in undertaking independent
study and research
Gender/
nationality
Not or somewhat
confident
Confident and
very confident
Unsure Total (n)
Male 225 (34.6%) 381 (58.5%) 45 (6.9%) 651
Female 33 (32.7%) 65 (64.4%) 3 (3%) 101
Emirati 213 (36.3%) 332 (56.6%) 42 (7.2%) 587
Non-Emirati 41 (27.3%) 105 (70%) 4 (2.7%) 150
Hypothesis 1:
(H0): Secondary school students with a high level of confidence in undertaking independent
study and research do not expect to undertake a foundation program.
Finding: Rejected – There is no association between level of confidence in undertaking
independent study and research and students’ expectation of undertaking a foundation
program as part of their future studies. A student who has a high level of confidence may still
expect to undertake a foundation program:
 77% of students who are confident/very confident in undertaking independent study
and research still expect to undertake a foundation course (‎Table 16)
Finding: Further analysis by gender, age, nationality and grade also found no association
between level of confidence in undertaking independent study and research and students’
expectation of undertaking a foundation program. For example, female students with a high
level of confidence and male students with a low level of confidence are just as likely to
expect to undertake a foundation program.
Table 16 Likelihood of undertaking a foundation course by level of confidence in
undertaking independent study and research
study and research
Expect to undertake a
foundation course
Not or somewhat
confident
Confident and very
confident
Total (n)
Yes 105 (80.2%) 212 (77.1%) 317
No 26 (19.8%) 63 (22.9%) 89
Total (n) 131 (100%) 275 (100%) 406

89
Hypothesis 2:
(H0): Non-Emirati secondary school students are more confident than Emirati secondary
school students in undertaking independent study and research.
Finding: Not rejected – There is an association between nationality and confidence in
undertaking independent study and research, X2 (1, n = 691) = 5.994, p = .014. Non-Emirati
secondary school students are more confident than Emirati secondary school students in
undertaking independent study and research:
 72% of non-Emirati secondary school students indicated they are confident/very confident
in undertaking independent study and research compared to 61% of Emirati secondary
school students (‎Table 17).
Finding: Further analysis found no association between level of confidence in undertaking
independent study and research and the variables of gender, age and grade.
Table 17 Level of confidence in undertaking independent study and research
study and research
Nationality
Not or somewhat
confident
Confident and very
confident
Total (n)
Emirati 213 (39.1%) 332 (60.9%) 545 (100%)
Non-Emirati 41 (28.1%) 105 (71.9%) 146 (100%)
Total (n) 254 (36.8%) 437 (63.2%) 691 (36.8%)
Hypothesis 3:
(H0): Secondary school students who perceive the subjects of Arabic, English, Maths and
Science as important to their future career are more confident in undertaking independent
study and research.
Finding: Rejected for Arabic, English and Maths but not rejected for Science: There is an
association between the students’ perceptions of the importance of Science to their future
career and their confidence in undertaking independent study and research, X2 (3,
n = 665) = 12.459, p = .006. Students who perceive Science as important to their future career
are more confident in undertaking independent study and research:
 Of those students who indicated they are ‘confident/very confident’ in undertaking
independent study and research, 57% of students indicated that Science is ‘very
important’ to their future career compared to 13.2% of students who indicated Science is
‘not important’ to their future career (‎Table 18).

90
Table 18 Importance of Science to future career and level of confidence in undertaking
independent study and research
study and research
Importance of Science
to future career
Not or somewhat
confident
Confident and very
confident
Total (n)
Not important 31 (12.8%) 56 (13.2%) 87
Somewhat important 34 (14%) 54 (12.8%) 88
Important 67 (27.7%) 72 (17%) 139
Very important 110 (45.5%) 241 (57%) 351
Total (n) 242 (100%) 423 (100%) 665
Finding: Fourty-four per cent (44%) of students indicated they expect to undertake a
foundation program as part of their future studies. Unfortunately, the survey did not ask the
large number of students who indicated they were ‘unsure’ to clarify their answer (‎Figure 18).
Figure 18 Likelihood of secondary school students to undertake a foundation program
Finding: By gender, 45% of male students expected to undertake a foundation program as
part of their future studies compared to 41% of female students (‎Table 19).
Finding: By nationality, 46% of Emiratis students expected to undertake a foundation program
as part of their future studies compared to 40% non-Emirati students (‎Table 19).
Table 19 Students’ expectations of undertaking a foundation program
Expectation of undertaking a foundation program
Gender/
nationality
Yes No Unsure Total (n)
Male 293 (45%) 87 (13.4%) 271 (41.6%) 651 (100%)
Female 41 (41%) 10 (10%) 49 (49%) 100 (100%)
Emirati 269 (45.8%) 68(11.6%) 250 (42.6%) 587 (100%)
Non-Emirati 60 (40%) 25 (16.7%) 65 (43.3%) 150 (100%)
Total (n) 329 93 315 737
Yes
44%
No
13%
Unsure
43%

91
Hypothesis 4:
(H0): Emirati secondary school students are more likely than non-Emirati secondary school
students to undertake a foundation program.
Finding: Rejected – There is no association between nationality and students’ expectation of
undertaking a foundation program. That is, non-Emirati students and Emirati students are just
as likely to expect to undertake a foundation program as part of their future studies.
Finding: Further analysis found no association between students’ expectations of undertaking
a foundation program and the variables of gender, age, grade and the importance of
selected subjects (i.e. Arabic, English, Maths and Science) to their future careers. For
example, students in Year 12 and students in Year 10 are just as likely to expect to undertake
a foundation program.
6.2.7 Observations: Students’ preparation for study
The first year of tertiary education in the UAE typically involves a foundation program, which
aims to prepare students for university level study. Subjects normally undertaken are English,
Mathematics, Arabic, IT and General Studies Skills. When asked about the likelihood of
undertaking a foundation program, 44% of students indicated ‘yes’, 13% indicated ‘no’ and
43% were ‘unsure’.
Researchers were also interested to find out if those participants already confident in
undertaking independent study and research believe they still need to undertake a
foundation program. The majority of students indicated ‘yes’ – 77% of students who indicated
they are ‘confident/very confident’ in undertaking independent study and research expect
to undertake a foundation program. Other important findings related to confidence were:
 Emirati participants were found to be less confident than non-Emirati students in
undertaking independent study and research
 students who perceive ‘Science’ as important to their future career indicated a higher
level of confidence in undertaking independent study and research.
See Section 7.3 Preparation for study in the Higher Education chapter for further discussion on
foundation programs.

92
6.3 CAREERS ADVICE
Are students accessing or intending to access careers advice?
 Almost two-thirds (64%) of students have received careers advice (‎Figure 19) and many are
likely (53%) or very likely (18%) to access careers advice in the future (‎Figure 20).
Figure 19 Access to careers advice Figure 20 Likelihood of accessing careers advice in
the future
How effective is careers advice in helping students decide on their study and career intentions?
Finding: Of those students who have accessed careers advice, the majority indicated the
advice was effective (53%) or highly effective (25%) in helping them decide on their future
study and career intentions (‎Figure 21).
Figure 21 Effectiveness of careers advice
Yes
64%
No
22%
Unsure
7%
School
doesn't
offer
careers
advice
5%
No
response
2%
Highly
unlikely
4%
Unlikely
6%
Neither
likely or
unlikely
19%
Likely
53%
Highly
likely
18%
Highly
ineffective
5% Ineffective
4%
Neither
effective or
ineffective
13%
Effective
53%
Highly
effective
25%

93
What age should students be able to access careers advice?
Finding: Three-quarters (65%) of students indicated they should be able to access careers
advice when they are over 14 years of age and/or in Grade 10 (‎Figure 22).
Figure 22 Age students should be able to access careers advice
How are secondary students accessing careers advice compared to how they would like to
access careers advice?
Finding: Students are mainly accessing careers advice from family and friends, from careers
advisors at school and/or at careers events/fairs (‎Figure 23).
Figure 23 How students have accessed careers advice
Before age
10/Grade 5
4%
Age 11-14/
Grades 7 -
10
11%
Age
14+/After
Grade 10
65%
Unsure
8%
No
response
12%
0
100
200
300
400
Careers advisor
at school
Careers
event/fair
Printed
information
(e.g. booklets)
Visits to/by
employers
From family
and friends
Numberofstudents

94
Finding: Students prefer to access careers advice at careers events/fairs, direct from employers,
being mentored by someone who is working in a job of interest to them, from careers advisors
at school, and from websites. They are less interested in printed materials (‎Figure 24).
Figure 24 How students prefer to access careers advice
Hypothesis 5:
(H0): Secondary school students who have already accessed careers advice will access
careers advice in the future.
Finding: Not rejected – There is an association between having already accessed careers
advice and accessing careers advice in the near future, X2 (4, n = 657) = 15.343, p = .004.
Those students who have already accessed careers advice are most likely to access careers
advice in the future:
 Of those students who have already accessed careers advice, 55% are ‘likely’ and 20%
are ‘highly likely’ to access careers advice in the future (‎Table 20).
0
100
200
300
400
Numberofstudents

95
Table 20 Likelihood of secondary school students accessing careers advice in future if
they have already accessed careers advice
Likelihood of accessing
careers advice in the future
Accessed careers advice
Total (n)
Yes No
Highly unlikely 23 (4.6%) 7 (4.4%) 30
Unlikely 23 (4.6%) 13 (8.1%) 36
Neither likely or unlikely 78 (15.7%) 42 (26.3%) 120
Likely 273 (54.9%) 79 (49.4%) 352
Highly likely 100 (20.1%) 19 (11.9%) 119
Total (n) 497 (100%) 160 (100%) 657
What is the students’ level of knowledge of their preferred future job and industry sector of
employment?
Finding: Students were most likely to indicate that they have ‘good’ (34% of students) or
‘average’ (36% of students) knowledge of their preferred future job and industry sector of
employment (‎Figure 25).
Figure 25 Level of knowledge of preferred future job and industry sector of employment
Hypothesis 6:
(H0): Students who have received careers advice have ‘Good’ or ‘Very good’ knowledge of
their preferred future job and industry sector of employment e.g. salaries, conditions,
knowledge/skills/qualifications requirements.
Finding: Not rejected – There is an association between students having accessed careers
advice and their knowledge of their preferred future job and industry sector of employment,
X2 (2, n = 624) = 9.46, p = .009. Students who have accessed careers advice perceive
themselves as having ‘good’ or ‘very good’ knowledge of their preferred job and industry
sector of employment:
Very low
3% Low
7%
Average
36%
Good
34%
Very good
15%
No
response
5%

96
 53% of students who have accessed careers advice indicated ‘good/very good’
knowledge of their preferred future job and industry sector of employment compared to
44% of students who have not accessed careers advice (‎Table 21).
Table 21 Access to careers advice and knowledge of preferred future job and industry
sector
Level of knowledge of preferred job and industry sector
of employment
Accessed careers
advice
Low/very low Average Good/very good Total (n)
Yes 38 (8.1%) 181 (38.7%) 249 (53.2%) 468
No 25 (16%) 63 (40.4%) 68 (43.6%) 156
Emiratis (yes) 33 (8%) 157 (38.3%) 220 (53.7%) 410
Emiratis (no) 22 (18%) 51 (41.8%) 49 (40.2%) 122
Further analysis found an association by nationality (Emiratis only).
Finding: Emirati students who have accessed careers advice indicated a higher level of
knowledge of their preferred future job and industry sector of employment than Emiratis who
have not accessed careers advice, X2 (2, n = 532) = 12.748, p = .002:
 54% of Emirati students who have accessed careers advice indicated good/very good
40% of Emirati students who have not accessed careers advice (‎Table 21).
Are secondary school students aware of Tanmia, the government body that helps Emirati job
seekers and provides career guidance services?
Finding: 41% of students indicated they were not aware of Tanmia (41%) and a further 16% of
students indicated they were ‘unsure’ (‎Figure 26).
Figure 26 Awareness of Tanmia
Yes
37%
No
41%
Unsure
16%
No
response
6%

97
6.3.1 Observations: Careers advice
The survey asked students to indicate whether they have accessed careers advice, and if
they have, how effective was this advice in terms of helping them to decide on their study
and career intentions. Two-thirds (64%) of students had accessed careers advice and 78%
indicated it was ‘effective/very effective’. However, one-third of students had not accessed
careers advice - 22% indicated ‘no’, 7% were ‘unsure’ and 5% indicated their ‘school doesn’t
offer careers advice’.
The survey also included questions to determine future demand by students for careers
advice. The analysis confirmed the importance that students place on being able to access
ongoing careers advice - 71% indicated they are ‘likely/very likely’ to access careers advice
in the future. However, the analysis found that students who have already accessed careers
advice were more likely than those students who have not to access careers advice in the
future – indicating the importance of providing students with high quality careers advice as
early as possible. Nearly three-quarters of students (65%) indicated that students should be
able to access careers advice when they are over 14 years of age and/or are in Grade 10.
Many students indicated they rely on their friends and family, a careers advisor at school, and
career events/fairs to obtain careers information. In addition to accessing careers advice at
careers events/fairs and schools, students prefer to access careers advice directly from
employers (42%) and being mentored by someone working in a job of interest to them (37%).
Students were least interested in printed materials (20%).
Unfortunately, it was outside the scope of this project to explore the extent of careers advice
available to school students across the UAE; the forms of available advice (e.g. industry visits,
printed materials, careers advisors); and the effectiveness of different forms of advice that
can be measured by indicators like students’ knowledge of the UAE labour market. Findings
from this project did support the consensus that there is a need to improve careers guidance
services in the UAE education system. As a result, Governments in the UAE have introduced
initiatives that aim to help address this issue.
For example, UAE’s vocational education and guidance project announced in October 2012
will create the position of ‘academic counsellor’ in public schools “to advise students on the
correct specialisations and careers in high demand in the labour market”50. Another recent
initiative for public schools is Dubai’s Ministry of Education partnering with private sector
companies (e.g. Emirate Airlines, Telecommunications Regulatory Authority) to deliver
information sessions about professions and careers paths in their respective industries51.
50 Gulfnews.com (2012, October 2). UAE launches vocational education guidance project. Retrieved from
http://gulfnews.com/news/gulf/uae/education/uae-launches-vocational-education-guidance-project-
1.1084804
51 The National (2011, May 5). Careers counselling to lower school dropout rate. Retrieved from
http://www.thenational.ae/news/uae-news/careers-counselling-to-lower-school-dropout-rate

98
The annual Najah Education and Training Exhibition and Career Fair is the largest education,
training and careers fair in the UAE, offering job profiling, careers advice and seminars. The
2012 fair attracted students from 40 UAE high schools and more than 120 international and
local higher education institutions. Khurram Saeed, Exhibition Director, stated “Najah has
become a vital link between high-school leavers looking to explore education and training
opportunities with educational institutions and universities”.52
The Ministry of Presidential Affairs has coordinated the production of the Occupations and
Careers Handbook for UAE Nationals53 (available in Arabic and English) that it will launch and
distribute to public schools in 2013.
6.4 PREFERRED JOB AND INDUSTRY SECTOR OF EMPLOYMENT
What industry sectors would students like to work in compared to the industry sectors they
believe have good employment opportunities?
Finding: Due to the high number of returns from male students, the Energy Resources sector
was of most interest to students with 29% of students indicating they would like to work in this
sector in the future (‎Figure 27).
Finding: By gender, the Energy Resources sector was of most interest to male students (39% of
male students). The Business, Administration and Financial Administration sector (27% of
female students) and the Community, Health and Social Services sector (21% of female
students) were of most interest to female students.
Finding: By nationality, the Energy Resources sector was of most interest to Emirati students
(38% of Emirati students). The Business, Administration and Financial Services sector was of
most interest to non-Emirati students (21% of non-Emirati students).
Finding: There were slight variations between students’ preferred industry sectors of
employment and their views about which industry sectors provide good employment
opportunities. For example:
 the proportion of students who indicated good employment opportunities in the Energy
Resources sector (27%) was slightly higher than the proportion of student who prefer to
work in this sector (29% students)
 the proportion of students who indicated good employment opportunities in the Tourism,
Hospitality, Retail and Leisure Services sector (4.9%) was higher than the proportion of
students who prefer to work in this sector (1.5%)
52 AMEinfo.com (2012, October 15). Najah Education, Training and Careers Fair opens tomorrow in Abu Dhabi.
Retrieved from http://www.ameinfo.com/najah-education-training-careers-fair-tomorrow-315276

99
 the proportion of students who indicated good employment opportunities in the
Building/Construction, Estates and Assets Development and Management sector (6.4%) was
lower than the proportion of students who preferred to work in this sector (8%).
Figure 27 Students’ preferred industry sectors of employment and their views about industry
sectors with good employment opportunities
What are students’ salary expectations compared to their knowledge of the minimum starting
salary levels of graduates?
Finding: 32% of students indicated the minimum starting salary of graduates in their preferred
job is AED 40,000 and over (‎Figure 28).
Finding: 38% of students indicated they require a salary of AED 40,000 and over before taking
a job (‎Figure 28).
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
Preferred industry sector of employment
Industry sector with good employment opportunities

100
Figure 28 Students’ knowledge of graduate monthly salaries and their salary expectations
To what extent do secondary school students believe it will be easy or difficult to find
employment in their preferred job and industry sector?
Finding: Students were most likely to indicate that finding employment in their preferred job
and industry sector was ‘not easy or difficult’ (60% of students). More students indicated it
would be difficult/very difficult (29% of students combined) than those who indicated it would
be easy/very easy (10% of students combined) (‎Figure 29).
Figure 29 Ease/difficulty in finding work in preferred job and industry sector
Do students believe there will be more or less jobs in the job of most interest to them in the
future?
Finding: Half of all students (50%) indicated that there would be more jobs in the job of interest to
them in future. Only 12% of students indicated there would be fewer jobs (‎Figure 30).
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
10,000 or less 10,000-19,999 20,000-39,999 40,000 and over Unsure Salary not
important
Minimum starting salary of graduates Required salary before taking a job
Very difficult
7%
Difficult
21%
Not easy or
difficult
60%
Easy
8%
Very easy
2%
No response
2%

101
Figure 30 Growth in the number of jobs of interest to students
Do students prefer to work in the public or private sector?
Finding: 48% of students indicated that they prefer to work in the public sector and 20% of
students indicated they prefer to work in the private sector (‎Figure 31).
Figure 31 Students’ preferences to work in the public or private sector
More jobs
50%
Less jobs
12%
No change
10%
Unsure
23%
No
response
5%
Public
48%
Private
20%
Unsure
30%
No
response
2%

102
Do students believe there will be more or less jobs in the public sector in the future?
Finding: 48% of students indicated that there would be more jobs in public sector in future and
22% indicated there would be fewer jobs (‎Figure 32).
Figure 32 Growth in the number of jobs in the public sector
6.4.1 Observations: Preferred job and industry sector of employment
The survey included questions to gauge students’ understanding of the UAE labour market,
with responses indicating to some extent, the effectiveness of careers advice. These questions
relate to:
 students’ knowledge of their preferred future job and industry sector of employment e.g.
salaries, conditions, knowledge/skills/qualifications requirements
 ease/difficulty in finding work in their preferred job and industry sector of employment
 awareness of Tanmia, the Government body that helps Emirati job seekers to find work
and provides them with career guidance services
 minimum starting salaries of graduates in their preferred job
 industry sectors with good employment opportunities
 views about the growth in the number of jobs of interest to them
 views about growth in the number of jobs in the public sector.
The analysis found that students who have already accessed careers advice indicated a
higher level of knowledge about their preferred job and industry sector of employment than
those students who have not accessed careers advice.
More jobs
48%
Less jobs
22%
No change
7%
Unsure
19%
No
response
4%

103
Almost 28% of students indicated that finding work in their preferred job and industry sector of
employment would be ‘difficult/very difficult’, and 60% of students indicated it would be ‘not
easy or difficult’ (a proxy for ‘unsure’). Over 40% of students were not aware of Tanmia and
another 16% were ‘unsure’ of its existence.
As stated earlier in Section 6.4, students’ salary expectations are too high. They lack
awareness of market rates for graduate positions – 22% of students indicated the minimum
starting salary of graduates in their preferred job was between AED 20,000-39,999 and 32% of
students indicated a monthly starting salary of AED 40,000 and over. When asked about the
source of this information, many students indicated family and friends, the internet or from
someone they know who works in the job of interest to them.
Around half of the students were optimistic about growth in the number of jobs of interest to
them, with 50% indicating there would be more jobs in the future. Students’ preferred industry
sector of employment generally aligned with their views about the sectors with good
employment opportunities. For example, 29% of students preferred to work in the Energy
Services and 27% of students indicated this sector would provide good employment
opportunities in the future.
The soon to be released Occupations and Careers Handbook for UAE Nationals54 identified
the following sectors with the most potential:
 Energy Resources, which includes oil, natural gas, petrochemicals, chemical and
mining/quarrying as well as renewable and sustainable energy – identified by many
students as a growth sector
 Logistics and Transport, which includes aviation, aerospace, air transport, maritime, supply
chain services, passenger conveyance, and storage and warehousing
 Utilities and Infrastructure, which includes communications (including
telecommunications), electricity, including renewable energy sources, engineering
services, gas, science and mathematics, utilities support and water
 Building and Construction, which includes estates and assets development and
management
 Manufacturing, which includes design and innovation manufacturing, process and
assembly manufacturing, pharmaceuticals, and biotechnology
and to a lesser extent:
 Tourism, which includes hospitality, retail and leisure services
 Business, Administration and Financial Services
 Community, Health Services and Social Services.
54 Ministry of Presidential Affairs and National Qualifications Authority (in press). Occupations and Careers Handbook
for UAE Nationals. pp. 27-28

104
Students indicated little interest in the important sectors of Logistics and Transport, Utilities and
Infrastructure, Manufacturing, Tourism, and Community, Health and Social Services.
Almost half of the students (48%) indicated a preference to work in the public sector. Al-Ali
(2007) identified several reasons why many Emiratis prefer to work in the public sector:
The public sector … offers Emiratis superior employment conditions: remuneration, job
security, hours of work, work content and generous vacations. The public sector’s
attractions include lower knowledge and experience requirements for recruits, a
traditionalist’s environment, Arabic as the preferred language and an opportunity to
practise ‘wasta’ (using connections) to get a job. 55
Al-Ali (2007) also identified barriers to UAE nationals working in the private sector:
… a wider group of UAE underemployed [have] a negative attitude to physically
demanding work, which precludes trades such as building, roads and maintenance
for men; or domestic, nursing or other demanding roles for women. As well, in the rural
and remote parts of UAE, women’s role in the economy are traditionally restricted to
occupations were genders do not mix, such as teaching, but not nursing. Urban
Emirati women overwhelming prefer public sector employment, and generally remain
unemployed if this is not forthcoming.56
Almost half (48%) of the students indicated there would be more jobs in the public sector in
the future, and 15% of students selected the Government Services and Public Administration
sector as an industry sector with good employment opportunities. The Occupations and
Careers Handbook for UAE Nationals57 states that this sector is unlikely to emerge as a priority
industry sector:
Relative to the expansion of the other industry sectors, this sector is likely to experience
lower levels of employment growth. That is, the number of UAE Nationals in the public
sector proportionate to output (productivity performance) may decline from past
practices, however in real terms, overall public sector job numbers should rise. It is most
likely that the demand in jobs in this sector will relate to policy, regulation and quality
services. Hence, good job prospects in the public sector are most likely to emerge
across:
 policy formulation, administration and advice
 regulation and licensing, inspection and compliance
 in quality and e-related client services.
55 Al-Ali, J. (2007). Emiratisation: drawing UAE nationals into their surging economy. International Journal of
Sociology and Social Policy. Vol 28, No. 9/10. Emerald Publishing Limited, p.367-368.
Sociology and Social Policy. Vol 28, No. 9/10. Emerald Publishing Limited, p. 367

105
6.5 CHAPTER SUMMARY
Key findings emerging from the analysis of secondary school data are as follows:
 Almost three-quarters (73%) of students intend to study at a university or college
immediately after completing school, indicating that the higher education sector is facing
increasing pressure to absorb increasing numbers of both male and female students.
However, only 4% of students intend to study at a vocational institute and 12% intend to
find a job after they finish school.
 Survey results indicate a strong interest in pursuing education in Engineering and
Engineering Trades due largely to the significant number of responses from male students.
To a lesser extent, students were interested in the fields of Business and Administration,
Computing/IT, Social Services, Architecture and Health. The survey found a lack of interest
in the important fields of Education and Manufacturing.
 Gender remains a significant factor in determining Emirati intentions for fields for study. For
example, males prefer the field of Engineering and Engineering Trades and females prefer
the field of Health.
 As well as the industry sector of Energy Resources, students indicated a preference to work
in the sectors of Government Services and Public Administration, Business, Administration
and Financial Services, and Building and Construction. There was significantly less interest
in the important growth sectors of Manufacturing, Logistics and Transport, Utilities and
Infrastructure, and Tourism.
 Students are heavily output focussed when selecting a course, identifying the most
important factors as the ‘availability of a good job’ followed by ‘salary and conditions’.
There were differences in the importance of other factors by nationality and gender. For
example, an ‘opportunity to study overseas later’ was also important to Emirati secondary
school students.
 When asked about the likelihood of undertaking a foundation program as part of their
future studies, almost 90% of students indicated ‘yes/unsure’. Many of the students who
expect to undertake a foundation course felt confident in undertaking independent study
and research.
 Non-Emirati students were more confident in undertaking independent study and research
than Emirati students. Surprisingly, many students who indicated Science was important to
their future were more confident than those who did not find this subject important.
 Almost two-thirds of students (64%) have already accessed careers advice and over 70%
indicated they would access careers advice in the future. Students who have already
accessed careers advice were more likely than students who have not accessed careers
advice to access careers advice in the future.
 Many students prefer to access careers advice at careers events/fairs, direct from
employers, by being mentored by someone who is working in a job of interest to them,
from careers advisors at school and through websites. They were less interested in printed
materials.

106
 Although the majority of students indicated their level of knowledge of their preferred job
and industry sector employment was ‘average’, ‘good’ or ‘very good’, other indicators
suggest their knowledge is lower than they perceive it is:
 Over 30% of students indicated the (unrealistic) minimum monthly starting salary of
graduates in their preferred field is AED 40,000 and over.
 60% of students were unsure if finding work in their preferred job would be easy or
difficult and a further 28% indicated it would be ‘difficult’ or ‘very difficult’; yet almost
half of the students believe there will be more jobs of interest to them in the future.
 Almost half of the students prefer to work in the public sector and believe the number of
jobs in the public sector would increase; a sector that is unlikely to emerge as a priority
industry sector.
 Governments at the Federal and Emirate level have introduced initiatives designed to
increase students’ awareness and understanding of study and career options in the UAE
labour market. The scope of this project meant it was not able to identify and evaluate
careers services available to secondary students. However, it did find that only 41% of
students had heard of Tanmia.
 The findings about the ineffectiveness of existing careers services in informing students
about the UAE labour market confirms other sources that indicate the urgent need to
improve the availability and quality of career advice/services in UAE schools.

107
Chapter 7: Perspectives of higher education students
7. Perspectives of higher
education students
This chapter presents and discusses findings from a 44-question
survey that discovered career aspirations of 915 higher education
students, the support they need to help them achieve these
aspirations, and their knowledge of the UAE labour market.
Students from 19 higher education institutions completed the higher education survey, of
which 644 students were from universities and 264 students were from vocational colleges and
institutes. For the number of higher education by institution name, go to:
‎Figure 33 illustrates the following key characteristics of participants:
 There was a good spread of responses across four Emirates (Sharjah, Ras Al Khaimah, Abu
Dhabi and Dubai). However, there were only 10 responses from Fujairah and no responses
from Ajman and Umm Al Quwain.
 Many higher education students (72%) were enrolled in Bachelor degree programs (72%),
particularly programs in the fields of Health, Business and Administration, and Engineering
and Engineering Trades.
 There was a good spread of students by year of study and year of course
commencement.
 Females accounted for two-thirds of returns, explaining why a significant number of
students were studying programs in the fields of Health or Business and Administration.
 Just over 60% of students were non-Emirati and the average age of students was 20 years.
For the number of higher education students by field of study, go to:

108
Ras Al
Khaimah
28%
Abu Dhabi
21%Dubai
15%
Fujairah
1%
Sharjah
31%
No response
4% Diploma
16%
Higher
Diploma
3%
Associate
Degree
0.3%
Bachelor
72%
Post
graduate
7%
No
response
2%
Male
32%
Female
66%
No
response
2%
Non-Emirati
61%
Emirati
38%
No response
1%
1st year
29%
2nd year
19%
3rd year
25%
4th year
19%
5th year
8% 2007
8%
2008
16%
2009
23%
2010
18%
2011
27%
2012
7%
Other
1%
Figure 33 Demographics of higher education students
Location Program
Gender
Nationality
Grade Year started
course

109
7.2 STUDY DECISIONS AND INTENTIONS
7.2.1 Study decisions
Did higher education students typically start their course straight after finishing school?
Finding: Three quarters (76%) of students indicated they started their course straight after finishing
school (‎Figure 34). Some of the key reasons given by students who did not start their course after
finishing school were that they have been working, undertaking another course (which they may
or may not have completed), studying at another university or having a break from their studies.
Figure 34 Started course before or after finishing school
7.2.2 Factors influencing study decisions
What factors were important to higher education students when selecting a course?
Finding: The ‘availability of a good job after a graduation’ was the main factor that
influenced students when selecting their course (63% of all students) (Figure 35).
Hypothesis 7:
(H0): Factors influencing students’ study decisions vary by gender.
Finding: Not rejected – There is an association between:
 gender and the factor of the ‘opportunity to study overseas later’, X2 (1, n = 902) = 4.394,
p = .036. Males were more likely than females to be influenced by this factor when they
selected their course:
 28% of male students indicated the factor of ‘opportunity to study overseas later’
influenced their course selection compared to 21% of female students (‎Table 22).
Yes
76%
No
22%
Unsure
2%

110
Figure 35 Factors influencing students when selecting a course
 gender and the factor of ‘graduate salary and conditions, X2 (1, n = 902) = 15.424, p = .000.
Males were more likely than females to be influenced by this factor when they selected
their course:
 39% of male students indicated the factor of ‘graduate salary and conditions’
influenced their course selection compared to 26% of female students (‎Table 22).
Hypothesis 8:
(H0): Factors influencing higher education students’ study decisions vary by nationality.
 nationality and the factor of ‘family wishes’ X2 (1, n = 908) = 12.466, p = .000. Non-Emirati
students were more likely than Emirati students to be influenced by this factor when they
selected their course:
 33% of non-Emirati students indicated the factor of ‘family wishes’ influenced their
course selection compared to 22% of Emirati students (‎Table 22).
 nationality and the factor of ‘reputation of a particular institution’, X2 (1, n = 908) = 15.526,
p = .000. Non-Emirati students were more likely than Emirati students to be influenced by
this factor when they selected their course:
 34% of non-Emirati students indicated the factor of ‘reputation of a particular institution’
influenced their course selection compared to 21% of Emirati students (‎Table 22).
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
Proportionofstudents

111
 nationality and the factor of ‘opportunity to study overseas later’, X2 (1, n = 908) = 9.452, p
= .002. Non-Emirati students were more likely than Emirati students to be influenced by this
factor when they selected their course:
 27% of non-Emirati students indicated the factor of ‘opportunity to study overseas later’
influenced their course decision compared to 18% of Emirati students (‎Table 22).
Table 22 Factors influencing students when select a course
Factor Male Female Emirati Non-Emirati Total
Close to home 87 (29.3%) 153 (25.3%) 80 (22.7%) 162 (29.1%) 244 (26.7%)
Family wishes 87 (29.3%) 170 (28.1%) 77 (21.9%) 182 (32.7%) 260 (28.4%)
Course offered at a
particular institution
48 (16.2%) 110 (18.2%) 62 (17.6%) 96 (17.3%) 160 (17.5%)
Reputation of a particular
institution
96 (32.2%) 170 (28.1%) 75 (21.3%) 186 (33.5%) 268 (29.3%)
Entry requirements or
standards
51 (17.2%) 103 (17.0%) 60 (17.0%) 95 (17.1%) 157 (17.2%)
Opportunity to study
overseas later
82 (27.6%) 129 (21.3%) 63 (17.9%) 149 (26.8%) 215 (23.5%)
Availability of a good job
after graduation
182 (61.3%) 379 (62.6%) 229 (65.1%) 337 (60.6%) 570 (62.3%)
Graduate salary and
conditions
115 (38.7%) 157 (26.0%) 98 (27.8%) 175 (31.5%) 277 (30.3%)
Status 55 (18.5%) 84 (13.9%) 44 (12.5%) 93 (16.7%) 139 (15.2%)
Total (n) 297 605 352 556 915
Do higher education students intend to find a job straight after finishing their course?
Finding: Over 60% of students indicated that they intend to find a job after finishing their
course, although another 16% intend to enrol in another course (‎Figure 36).
Figure 36 Intentions of higher education students after finishing their course
Find a job
62%
Enrol in
another
course
16%
Have a break
for a year or
more
5%
Unsure
7%
Other
10%

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7.2.3 Observations: Study decisions and intentions
Similar to secondary school students, higher education students indicated the most important
factors when selecting a course was the ‘availability of a good job after graduation’ and to a
lesser extent, ‘graduate salary and conditions’ and ‘reputation of a particular institution’.
There were differences between some factors important to secondary school students and
those important to higher education students as indicated by the rankings of factors in ‎Table
23:
 45% of secondary school schools indicated ‘graduate salary and conditions’ influenced
their study decisions compared to 30% of higher education students (30%).
 The factors of ‘opportunity to study overseas later’, ‘status’ and ‘entry requirements or
standards’ were more important to secondary school students than to higher education
students.
 The factors of ‘family wishes’ ‘close to home’, and ‘course offered at a particular
institution’ were more important to higher education students than to secondary school
students.
Table 23 Ranking of factors of most importance to students when selecting their course
(from 1 most important to 9 least important)
Factor Secondary school Higher education
Close to home 7 (21%) 5 (27%)
Family wishes 8 (21%) 4 (28%)
Course offered at a particular institution 9 (8%) 7 (18%)
Reputation of a particular institution 3 (39%) 3 (29%)
Entry requirements or standards 6 (24%) 8 (17%)
Opportunity to study overseas later 4 (37%) 6 (24%)
Availability of a good job after graduation 1 (64%) 1 (62%)
Graduate salary and conditions 2 (45%) 2 (30%)
Status 5 (33%) 9 (15%)
Total (n) 801 915
The variation in these factors could be due, to some extent, to the demographic
characteristics of survey respondents. For example, male Emiratis accounted for 74% of
secondary school survey returns and female non-Emiratis accounted for 39% of higher
education survey returns. At the time of the survey, secondary school students had identified
factors likely to influence their study decision but they have not yet made a study decision
unlike higher education students.
Before making a study decision, it is critical that students are aware of the fields of study that
are likely to lead to sustainable jobs in the UAE labour market. Further research would identify:
 the actual factors that influenced secondary school students at the time of making a
decision about further study

113
 explain why factors may change over the further study period
 find out if graduates achieved the desired outcomes of their further study (e.g. found a
good job after graduation, found a job that met their salary expectations, continued their
studies abroad).
The research would identify those factors that are more or less likely to lead to informed study
and career decisions and recommend strategies to enhance students’ ability to make
informed decisions.
7.3 PREPARATION FOR STUDY
Did higher education students complete a foundation program as part of their current studies?
Finding: 66% of students indicated they completed a foundation program (‎Figure 37).
Figure 37 Proportion of students who completed a foundation course
Hypothesis 9:
(H0): The likelihood of undertaking a foundation program varies by gender.
Finding: Not rejected – There is an association between gender and the likelihood of
undertaking a foundation program, X2 (1, n = 891) = 6.872, p = .009. Female students are more
likely than male students to undertake a foundation program:
 70% of female students have undertaken a foundation program compared to 61% of male
students (‎Table 24).
Hypothesis 10:
(H0): The likelihood of undertaking a foundation program varies by nationality.
Finding: Not rejected – There is an association between nationality and the likelihood of
undertaking a foundation program, X2 (1, n = 897) = 32.687, p = .000. Emirati students are more
likely than non-Emirati students to undertake a foundation program:
 78% of Emirati students to have undertaken a foundation program compared to 60% non-
Emirati students (Table 24).
Yes
66%
No
33%
No
response
1%

114
Table 24 Participation by higher education students in foundation programs
Undertaken a
foundation program
Male Female Emirati Non-Emirati Total
Yes 179 (60.9%) 416 (69.7%) 271 (78.1%) 328 (59.6%) 602 (33%)
No 115 (39.1%) 181 (30.3%) 76 (21.9%) 222 (40.4%) 302 (65.8%)
Total (n) 294 597 347 550 915
For those higher education students who have undertaken a foundation program, how
effective was this program in preparing them for their studies?
Finding: Students indicated the extent to which they ‘agree’ or ‘disagree’ with the statement:
“The foundation course has prepared me well for the course I am currently studying”.
Students were most likely to indicate they ‘agree’ (38% of students) or ‘neither agree or
disagree’ (32% of students) with the statement (‎Figure 38).
Figure 38 Effectiveness of foundation programs in preparing students for their studies
Hypothesis 11:
(H0): Satisfaction with foundation programs varies by nationality.
 nationality and students’ views on the effectiveness of foundation programs, X2 (1, n = 897)
= 32.687, p = .000. Emirati students were more satisfied than non-Emirati students with the
foundation program they had undertaken:
 61% of Emirati students indicated that they ‘agree/highly agree’ that the foundation
program prepared them well for their studies compared to 47% of non-Emirati students
(‎Table 25).
Finding: Further analysis found no association between students’ views on the effectiveness of
foundation programs and the variable of gender.
Highly agree
15%
Agree
38%
Neither
agree or
disagree
32%
Disagree
8%
Highly
disagree
7%

115
Table 25 Effectiveness of foundation programs by nationality
Effectiveness of foundation programs in
preparing students for their studies
Emirati Non-Emirati Total
Disagree/highly disagree 60 (17.9%) 73 (14.3%) 133 (15.8%)
Neither agree or disagree 72 (21.5%) 197 (38.7%) 269 (31.9%)
Agree/highly agree 203 (60.6%) 239 (47.0%) 442 (52.4%)
Total (n) 335 509 884
7.3.1 Observations: Preparation for study
The Commission for Academic Accreditation (CAA) defines a foundation program as “a
developmental or remedial program specifically intended to enable UAE secondary school
graduates to qualify for admission to higher education”.58 CAA has approved 18 institutions in
the UAE to deliver foundation programs59 and UAE’s public universities (UAE University, Zayed
University and Higher Colleges of Technology) also offer foundation programs.
Emirati and non-Emirati students who scored below 60% on their national (UAE) Secondary
School Certificate are required to undertake a foundation course if they wish to progress to
higher education. As stated in the Secondary School chapter of this report, subjects
undertaken are English, Mathematics, Arabic, IT and General Studies – subjects that aim to
provide students with the necessary skills for academic study.
Almost two-thirds of the higher education students (66%) surveyed had undertaken a
foundation program. This result was not surprising given the 2010 news article titled, Majority
not prepared for university,60 states “around 90 per cent of public and private secondary
school graduates in the UAE who apply to Federal universities are not qualified to
immediately engage in undergraduate studies”. The article goes on to explain possible
reasons for why many students are “ill-prepared for tertiary education; or why admissions to
these programs are on the rise”:
 Some students who “faced difficult circumstances during the final exams and simply did
not perform well” were not given a second chance
 Diverse schooling systems across the UAE
 Secondary school curricula that needs improving.
58 Commission for Academic Accreditation (CAA). Standards for Licensure and Accreditation 2011. Retrieved
January 14, 2013, from http://www.caa.ae/caaweb/images/Standards2011.pdf, p. 56.
59 Commission for Academic Accreditation (CAA). Foundation Program Approved Institutions. Retrieved
January 14, 2013, from https://www.caa.ae/caa/DesktopModules/FoundationInstitutes.aspx
60 Gulfnew.com (2010, October 3). Majority not prepared for university. Retrieved from
http://gulfnews.com/news/gulf/uae/education/majority-not-prepared-for-university-1.690616

116
Another article, Students entering university still stuck on remedial treadmill,61 also attributes
the high rates of students having to enrol in a foundation course before starting their degree
(83% at Zayed University in 2009) to curriculum and teaching. The article quoted Dr Annie
Brown, the Associate Director for Assessment and Professional Development at the Ministry of
Higher Education and Scientific Research:
What we need now is a radical change to curriculum and to teaching methodology.
If something like that doesn't happen then the universities are going to have this
continuing problem of students not being ready to start their academic programs.
The article also raises the issue of the significant financial burden of foundation programs on
institutions. For Zayed University, foundation programs account for about 20% of the
university’s instructional budget.
The Chancellor of United Arab Emiratis University in his 2011 Annual Address to the University
Community62 talked about the need to remove foundation programs entirely by improving
the English language competence of students graduating from secondary school:
One imperative strategic goal is to improve the English language competence of
students who graduate from the nation’s school system and eventually to remove the
need for remedial programs in our colleges and universities entirely. Higher education
institutions and the Ministry of Education are in the process of drafting a long-term
plan for public school reform. I expect the UAE University to be a major participant in
that important national endeavour.
This project did not locate existing research on the effectiveness of foundation programs in
terms of preparing students for their studies from the student perspective, although it is likely
that universities collect data on student satisfaction with these programs.
Further research on the factors that influence student satisfaction with foundation programs
and the success indicators of these programs would be worthwhile. This research would build
on key findings from this project in relation to foundation programs:
 15% of students were dissatisfied with the foundation program they had undertaken
 32% were unable to state if the program was ‘effective or ineffective’ (a proxy for ‘unsure’)
 61% of Emirati students were satisfied with foundation programs compared to 47% of non-
Emirati students.
61 The National (2010, May 25). Students entering university still stuck on remedial treadmill. Retrieved from
http://www.thenational.ae/news/uae-news/education/students-entering-university-still-stuck-on-remedial-
treadmill#page2
62 United Arab Emirates University (2011). Annual Address to the University Community. Retrieved January 14,
2013, from http://www.uaeu.ac.ae/about/2011_convocation/20110919_chancellors_speech-english.pdf

117
7.4 CAREERS ADVICE
Have higher education students accessed or intending to access careers advice?
Finding: 60% of higher education students had accessed advice (‎Figure 39).
Finding: Combined, 65% of students indicated they were ‘likely/very likely’ to access careers
advice in the future (‎Figure 40), although 21% were ‘neither likely or unlikely’ (a proxy for
‘unsure’) and a further 10% were ‘unlikely/highly unlikely’ to access careers advice.
Figure 39 Access to careers advice Figure 40 Likelihood of accessing careers
advice in the future
Hypothesis 12:
(H0): Higher education students who have already accessed careers advice are more likely
than students who have not accessed careers to do so in the future.
Finding: Not rejected – There is an association between having already accessed careers
advice and accessing careers advice in the near future, X2 (4, n = 811) = 35.351, p = .000:
 Of those students who have already accessed careers advice, 75% are ‘likely/highly likely’
to access careers advice in the future compared to 55% of students who have not yet
accessed careers advice (‎Table 26).
Table 26 Likelihood of higher education students accessing careers advice in future if
they have already accessed careers advice
Likelihood of accessing
careers advice in the future
Accessed careers advice Total (n)
Yes No
Highly unlikely 23 (4.3%) 17 (6.2%) 40 (4.9%)
Unlikely 27 (5.0%) 28 (10.2%) 55 (6.8%)
Neither likely or unlikely 84 (15.7%) 79 (28.7%) 163 (20.1%)
Likely 282 (52.6%) 112 (40.7%) 394 (48.6%)
Highly likely 120 (22.4%) 39 (14.2%) 159 (19.6%)
Total (n) 536 275 811
Yes
60%
No
31%
Unsure
7%
No
response
2%
Highly
likely
18%
Likely
47%
Neither
likely or
unlikely
21%
Unlikely
6%
Highly
unlikely
4%
No
response
4%
75%
combined
55%
combined

118
How effective was careers advice in helping higher education students to select their course
and decide on their preferred future job?
Finding: Of those students who have already accessed careers advice, 49% of students
indicated the advice was ‘effective’ and 15% of students indicated it was ‘highly effective’ in
helping them to select their course (‎Figure 41).
Finding: Of those students who have already accessed careers advice, 45% of students
indicated the advice was ‘effective’ and 15% of students indicated it was ‘highly effective’ in
helping them to decide on their preferred future job (‎Figure 42).
Finding: Combined, around 40% of students found careers advice to be ‘neither effective or
ineffective’, ‘ineffective’ and ‘highly ineffective’ in helping them to select a course and
decide on their preferred future job (‎Figure 42).
Figure 41 Effectiveness of careers advice in
helping students to select course
Figure 42 Effectiveness of careers advice in helping
students to decide on preferred future job
Hypothesis 13:
(H0): Higher education students who indicated careers advice was ‘effective/highly effective’
in helping them to select their course will access careers advice in the future.
Finding: Not rejected – There is an association between the effectiveness of careers advice in
helping students to select a course and the likelihood of students accessing careers advice in
the near future, X2 (4, n =649) = 155.366, p = .000:
 Of those students who indicated careers advice was ‘effective/highly effective’ in helping
them to select their course, 76% indicated they were ‘likely/highly likely’ to access careers
advice in the future (‎Table 27).
 Of those students who indicated careers advice was ‘ineffective/highly effective’ in
helping them to select their course, only 7.6% indicated they were ‘likely/highly likely’ to
access careers advice in the future (‎Table 27).
Highly
effective
15%
Effective
49%
Neither
effective or
ineffective
22%
Ineffective
6%
Highly
ineffective
8%
Highly
effective
15%
Effective
45%
Neither
effective or
ineffective
26%
Ineffective
6%
Highly
ineffective
8%

119
Table 27 Likelihood of accessing careers advice in the future based on the effectiveness
of careers advice in helping students to select their course
Effectiveness of
careers advice in
helping students to
select course
Likelihood of accessing careers advice in the future
Total (n)Unlikely/highly
unlikely
Neither likely or
unlikely
Likely/highly
likely
Ineffective/highly
ineffective
34 (50.7%) 21 (16.9%) 35 (7.6%) 90 (13.9%)
Neither effective or
ineffective
11 (16.4%) 58 (46.8%) 76 (16.6%) 145 (22.3%)
Effective/highly
effective
22 (32.8%) 45 (36.3%) 347 (75.8%) 414 (63.8%)
Total (n) 67 124 458 649
Hypothesis 14:
(H0): Higher education students who indicated careers advice was ‘effective/highly effective’
in helping them to decide on their future job will access careers advice in the future.
Finding: Not rejected – There is an association between the effectiveness of careers advice in
helping students to decide on their future job and the likelihood of students accessing careers
advice in the near future, X2 (4, n =643) = 149.077, p = .000:
 Of those students who indicated careers advice was ‘effective/highly effective’ in helping
them to decide on their future job, 72% indicated they were ‘likely/highly likely’ to access
careers advice in the future (‎Table 28).
 Of those students who indicated careers advice was ‘ineffective/highly effective’ in
helping them to decide on their future job, only 7.9% indicated they were ‘likely/highly
likely’ to access careers advice in the future (‎Table 28).
Table 28 Likelihood of accessing careers advice in the future based on the effectiveness
of careers advice in helping students to select their preferred future job
Effectiveness of
careers advice in
helping students
decide on future job
Likelihood of accessing careers advice in the future
Total (n)Unlikely/highly
unlikely
Neither likely or
unlikely
Likely/highly
likely
Ineffective/highly
ineffective
35 (53.8%) 20 (16.1%) 36 (7.9%) 91 (14.2%)
Neither effective or
ineffective
16 (24.6%) 58 (46.8%) 92 (20.3%) 166 (25.8%)
Effective/highly
effective
14 (21.5%) 46 (37.1%) 326 (71.8%) 386 (60.0%)
Total (n) 65 124 454 643

120
How have higher education students accessing careers advice compared to how they
would like to access careers advice?
Finding: Students are mainly accessing careers advice from family and friends and their
careers advisors (‎Figure 43).
Finding: Students prefer to access careers advice in a number of way: from careers advisors,
direct from employers, careers events/fairs, websites, and from someone (a mentor) who is
working in a job of interest to them. They were less interested in receiving advice through
television/radio, a dedicated careers centre and printed materials (‎Figure 44).
Figure 43 How students have accessed careers advice
Figure 44 How students prefer to access careers advice
0
100
200
300
400
500
Careers advisor
at school
Careers
event/fair
Printed
information
(e.g. booklets)
Visits to/by
employers
From family and
friends
Other
Numberofstudents
0
100
200
300
400
500
Numberofstudents

121
What is higher education students’ level of knowledge of their preferred future job and
industry sector of employment?
Finding: Students were most likely to indicate they have ‘good’ (43% of students) or ‘average’
(31% of students) knowledge of their preferred future job and industry sector of employment
e.g. salaries, conditions, knowledge/skills/qualifications requirements (‎Figure 45).
Figure 45 Level of knowledge of preferred future job and industry sector of employment
Hypothesis 15:
(H0): Higher education students who have received careers advice have ‘good’ or ‘very
good’ knowledge of their preferred future job and industry sector of employment.
Finding: Not rejected – There is an association between students having accessed careers
advice and their knowledge of their preferred future job and industry sector of employment,
X2 (2, n = 803) = 7.796, p = .020. Students who have accessed careers advice are more likely to
indicate they have a higher level of knowledge of their preferred job and industry sector of
employment than those students who have not accessed careers advice:
 67% of students who have accessed careers advice indicated ‘good/very good’
33% who have not accessed careers advice (‎Table 29).
Finding: Further analysis found no association between level of knowledge and the variables
of gender and nationality.
Table 29 Access to careers advice and knowledge of preferred future job and industry sector
Accessed careers
advice
Level of knowledge
Total (n)
Low/very low Average Good/very good
Yes 44 (52.4%) 175 (68.4%) 317 (66.9%) 278 (34.2%)
No 40 (47.6%) 81 (31.8%) 157 (33.1%) 536 (65.8%)
Total (n) 84 256 474 814
Very good
13%
Good
43%
Average
31%
Low
7%
Very low
3%
No response
3%

122
Are higher education students aware of Tanmia, the government body that helps Emirati job
seekers to find work and provides career guidance services?
Finding: Despite many higher education students having accessed careers advice, only 27%
of students indicated they have heard of Tanmia – compared to 58% of employers and 37%
of secondary school students who have heard of Tanmia (‎Figure 46).
Figure 46 Awareness of Tanmia
7.4.1 Observations: Careers advice
Similar to secondary school students, many higher education students have not yet accessed
careers advice (31%) – although many intend to do so in the future (65%). The analysis found
a need for awareness raising activities that target students who have never accessed careers
advice as well as those students who were dissatisfied with the advice that they have
received.
Many students prefer to receive advice from careers advisors in educational institutions.
Therefore, it is vital that advisors are well trained and equipped with the necessary skills and
knowledge to provide effective advice. Given students’ interest in interacting directly with
employers, educational institutions are obvious coordinating bodies for arranging industry
visits, mentors and other forms of interactions with industry. Just like secondary school students,
higher education students prefer text-based careers materials to be available online rather
than in printed/hard copy format.
Apart from asking students who have already accessed careers about the effectiveness of
this advice, the survey included other questions related to effectiveness of this advice. These
questions were based on the assumption that effective careers advice provides students with
a sound knowledge of the UAE labour market and key services that could help them to find
work when they graduate, such as Tanmia – a service that only 27% of higher education
students have heard of.
Yes
27%
No
57%
Unsure
12%
No response
4%

123
The analysis found that 56% of students indicated they have ‘good/very good’ knowledge
about their preferred job and industry sector of employment. However, one quarter of
students were ‘unsure’ of the minimum starting salary of graduates in their preferred job and a
further 23% had unrealistic expectations when they indicated a starting salary of 20,000 and
above for graduates in their preferred job (see Research Question 40). When asked about the
ease/difficulty in finding work in their preferred job and industry sector (see Research Question
41), 44% indicated it would be ‘neither easy or difficult’ – a proxy for ‘unsure’.
The above findings confirm the need for:
 awareness raising activities that promote the importance of careers advice and available
services to students, particularly to students who have never accessed careers advice and
students who were dissatisfied with the advice they have received
 up-to-date and appropriately delivered resources about sustainable careers in the UAE
labour market
 careers advisors in educational institutions who can provide solid industry advice to
students
 more opportunities for students to interact directly with industry.
7.5 PREFERRED JOB AND INDUSTRY SECTOR OF EMPLOYMENT
What industry sectors would higher education students like to work in compared to the
industry sectors they believe have good employment opportunities?
Finding: Given 29% of students who completed the higher education survey were enrolled in
courses at Ras Al Khaimah Medical and Health Sciences University, it is not surprising that 22%
of students indicated the industry sector of Community, Health and Social Services was their
preferred industry sector of employment (‎Figure 47). However, students identified the sector of
Government Services and Public Administration as the sector with the greatest employment
opportunities (44% of students).
Finding: By gender, the sectors of Government Services and Public Administration (18% of
male students) and Business Administration and Financial Services (17% of male students)
were of most interest to male students. The sectors of Community, Health and Social Services
(25% of female students) and Business Administration and Financial Services (17% of female
students) were of most interest to female students.
Finding: By nationality, there were significant differences between the preferred industry
sector of employment for Emirati students and non-Emirati students:
 30% of Emirati students prefer to work in the Government Services and Public Administration
sector compared to only 7.4% of non-Emirati students.

124
 43% of non-Emirati students prefer to work in the Community, Health and Social Services
sector compared to 9.1% of Emirati students. This is largely due to non-Emirati students
accounting for the majority of students enrolled in courses in the health field.
Finding: As highlighted in ‎Figure 47 (*), there were six (6) industry sectors that over 30% of
students indicated offered good employment opportunities.
Finding: Despite students indicating three of these sectors (Education, Learning and Social
Development, Energy Resources, and Tourism, Hospitality, Retail and Leisure Services) offered
good employment opportunities, not many were interested in working in these sectors.
Figure 47 Students’ preferred industry sectors of employment and their views about industry
sectors with good employment opportunities
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
Preferred industry sector of employment
Industry sector with good employment opportunities
Percentageofstudents
*
*
*

125
To what extent do higher education students believe their course is relevant to their preferred
future job and industry sector of employment?
Finding: Almost 70% of students indicated their course was ‘relevant/highly relevant’ to their
preferred future job and industry sector of employment (‎Figure 48).
Figure 48 Relevance of course to students’ preferred future job and industry sector of employment
Hypothesis 16:
(H0): Relevance of course to student’s preferred future job and industry sector of employment
varies by nationality.
Finding: Not rejected – There is an association between students’ views of the relevance of
their course to their preferred future job and industry sector of employment and nationality, X2
(2, n = 880) = 22.853, p = .000. Non-Emirati students were more likely than non-Emirati students
to indicate their course was relevant to their preferred job and industry sector of employment:
 75% of non-Emirati students indicated their course was ‘relevant/highly relevant’ to their
preferred future job and industry sector of employment compared to 66% of non-Emirati
students (‎Table 30).
Finding: Further analysis found no association between relevance of course and the variable
of gender.
Table 30 Relevance of course to students’ preferred future job and industry sector of
employment by nationality
Nationality
Level of knowledge
Highly
irrelevant/irrelevant
Neither relevant or
irrelevant
Relevant/highly
relevant
Total (n)
Emirati 67 (20.1%) 48 (14.4%) 219 (65.6%) 334
Non-Emirati 111 (20.3%) 28 (5.1%) 407 (74.5%) 546
Total (n) 178 (20.2%) 76 (8.6%) 626 (71.1%) 880 (100%)
Highly
relevant
37%
Relevant
32%
Neither
relevant or
irrelevant
8%
Irrelevant
6%
Highly
irrelevant
14%
No response
3%

126
What are higher education students’ salary expectations compared to their knowledge of
the minimum starting salary levels of graduates?
Finding: Two-thirds of students indicated they require a monthly starting salary before taking a
job that was above their expectation of what a graduate actually earns in their preferred job.
For example, 26% of students indicated that graduates in their preferred job earn between
AED 10,000 and 19,999 a month; however, more students (35% of students) require this salary
range before taking a job. A further 23% indicated they would only take a job with a monthly
starting salary of AED 20,000 and above (‎Figure 49).
Finding: One quarter (25%) of the students indicated they were ‘unsure’ of minimum monthly
salaries for graduates (‎Figure 49).
Figure 49 Students’ knowledge of graduate monthly salaries vs. their salary expectations
To what extent do higher education students believe it will be easy or difficult to find
employment in their preferred job and industry sector?
Finding: Over 40% of students indicated that it would be ‘difficult/very difficult’ to find work in
their preferred job and industry sector of employment, and a further 44% indicated it would
be ‘neither easy or difficult’ – a proxy for unsure (‎Figure 50).
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
10,000 or less 10,000-19,999 20,000-39,999 40,000 and over Unsure Salary not
important
Minimum starting salary of graduate Required salary before taking a job
Percentageofstudents

127
Figure 50 Ease/difficulty in finding work in preferred job and industry sector
Do higher education students prefer to work in the public or private sector?
Finding: 47% of students indicated that they prefer to work in the public sector and 24% of
students indicated they prefer to work in the private sector (‎Figure 51).
Figure 51 Students’ preferences to work in the public or private sector
Very easy
2%
Easy
11%
Neither easy
or difficult
44%
Difficult
28%
Very difficult
13%
No response
2%
Public
47%
Private
24%
Unsure
27%
No response
2%

128
Do higher education students believe there will be more or less jobs in the job of most interest
to them in the future?
Finding: 42% of students indicated that there would be more jobs of interest to them in future
and 26% of students indicated there would be fewer jobs (‎Figure 52).
Figure 52 Growth in the number of jobs of interest to students
Do higher education students believe there will be more or less jobs in the public sector in the
future?
Finding: 37% of students indicated that there would be more jobs in public sector in future
and 27% indicated there would be fewer jobs (‎Figure 53).
Figure 53 Growth in the number of jobs in the public sector
More jobs
42%
Less jobs
21%
No change
17%
Unsure
16%
No response
4%
More jobs
37%
Less jobs
27%
No change
13%
Unsure
19%
No response
4%

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7.5.1 Observations: Preferred job and industry sector of employment
Similar to the secondary school survey, the higher education survey included questions to
gauge students’ understanding of the UAE labour market, with some responses related to the
effectiveness of careers advice. The analysis found that although 56% of students indicated
their knowledge of their preferred job and industry sector of employment was ‘good/very
good’, the findings suggest their level of knowledge is much lower.
Students identified the Government Services and Public Administration sector as the industry
sector offering the greatest employment opportunities in the UAE; 47% of students indicated
they prefer to work in the public sector; and 37% of students indicated there would be more
jobs in the public sector in the future. As stated in the soon to be released Occupations and
Careers Handbook for UAE Nationals, the public sector is expected to experience low levels
of employment growth.
Out of the five industry sectors expected to offer good job opportunities in the future (i.e.
Energy Resources, Logistics and Transport, Utilities and Infrastructure, Building and
construction, and Manufacturing – as stated in the Occupations and Careers Handbook for
UAE Nationals), students only identified Energy Resources and Building and Construction as
sectors offering good employment opportunities.
One quarter (25%) of students indicated they were ‘unsure’ of graduate monthly salaries and
23% of students have unrealistic salary expectations when they indicated they would only
take a job with a monthly salary of AED 20,000 and above.
Almost 70% of students indicated their course was ‘relevant/highly relevant’ to their preferred
future job and industry sector of employment. However, 41% of students indicated that it
would be ‘difficult/very difficult’ to find work in their preferred job and industry sector of
employment. A further 44% indicated it would be ‘neither easy or difficult’ to find work – a
proxy for ‘unsure’.
Students’ views about growth in the number of jobs of interest to them varied quite
significantly from more jobs (42% of students), less jobs (21%), no change (17%) and unsure
(16%) as did their views on the growth in jobs in the public sector, varying from more jobs
(37%), less jobs (27%), no change (13%) and unsure (19%).
These findings strongly support the urgent need for students to improve their understanding of
the UAE labour market when making study and career decisions.

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7.6 CORELIFE SKILLS
How do higher education students view their level of generic (CoreLife) skills compared to
how employers view CoreLife Skills?
Finding: Students were most likely to indicate they have a ‘good/very good’ CoreLife Skills,
with an average of 79% of students indicating they have skills at this level (‎Table 31).
Finding: Students were most to likely to indicate their top three CoreLife Skills were:
 collecting, analysing, organising and applying information in a given context
 communicating information, concepts and ideas (very important to employers)
 working with others in teams including leadership (very important to employers)
Table 31 Students’ views of their CoreLife Skills vs. importance of CoreLife Skills to employers
CoreLife Skills
Very
low/low
Average
Good/very
good
Rank by
students
Rank by
employers
Collecting, analysing,
organising and applying
information in a given context
3.4% 12.0% 83.4% 1 4
Communicating information,
concepts and ideas
3.3% 11.9% 83.2% 2 2
Initiating and organising self
and activities, including
motivation, exploration and
creativity
3.9% 14.6% 79.8% 4 3
Working with others in teams
including leadership
3.9% 11.3% 82.3% 3 1
Solving problems including
using mathematical ideas and
techniques
6.6% 17.2% 73.4% 7 5
Applying information and
communication technology
(ICT)
4.5% 17.0% 74.9% 6 6
Participating in social and civic
life including ethical practice
6.3% 14.6% 75.1% 5 7
Average 4.6% 14.1% 78.9%

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Finding: There was a significant gap (21% percentage point difference) between employers’
perceptions of the level of CoreLife Skills of graduates and students’ perceptions about their
own level (‎Table 32):
 Employers indicated an overall average of 58% of graduates having ‘good/very good’
CoreLife Skills compared to an average of 79% of students who indicated their CoreLife
Skills were ‘good/very good’.
Finding: Employers were most satisfied with graduates’ level of the CoreLife Skills of:
 applying information and communication technology (ICT)
 working with others in teams including leadership.
Finding: Employers were least satisfied with graduates’ level of the CoreLife Skill of:
 initiating and organising self and activities, including motivation, exploration and creativity,
with a 33 percentage point difference between employers’ perceptions and students’
perceptions.
Table 32 Students’ perceptions of their CoreLife Skills vs. employers’ perceptions of the
CoreLife Skills of graduates
CoreLife Skills
Employers:
Good/very good
Students:
Good/very good
Percentage point
difference
Collecting, analysing,
organising and applying
60.8% 83.4% -22.5
concepts and ideas
60.8% 83.2% -22.4
Initiating and organising self
and activities, including
motivation, exploration and
creativity
47.3% 79.8% -32.5
Working with others in teams
including leadership
68.5% 82.3% -13.8
Solving problems including
using mathematical ideas and
techniques
52.7% 73.4% -20.7
communication technology
(ICT)
68.9% 74.9% -6.0
Participating in social and civic
life including ethical practice
50.0% 75.1% -25.1
Average 58.4% 78.9% -20.5%

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7.6.1 Observations: CoreLife Skills
Similar to findings presented in Bayt’s 2012 Middle East Job Index63 and the Arab Human
Capital Challenges: The Voices of CEOs report64, employers who participated in this project
also indicated teamwork skills and communication skills were the most important generic
(Corelife) skills to their organisations. Employers who participated in this project were generally
satisfied with the CoreLife Skills of graduates and were particularly pleased by the level of
their teamwork skills and communication skills:
 69% of employers indicated that graduates have ‘good/very good’ teamwork skills (i.e.
the ability to work with others in teams including leadership)
 61% of employers indicated that graduates have ‘good/very good’ communication skills
(i.e. the ability to communicate information, concepts and ideas).
The analysis of employer and student responses to questions about CoreLife Skills identified
two issues:
 Employers were least satisfied with graduates’ their initiating and organising skills (i.e. the
ability to initiate and organise self, including motivation, exploration and creativity)
 Students’ perceived their level of their CoreLife Skills much higher than employers
perceived the level of CoreLife Skills of graduates.
As stated in the Chapter 5: Employer perspectives, the Commission for Academic
Accreditation has adopted the QFEmirates. Through their teaching methods and program/
core content, higher education institutions will increasingly build the CoreLife Skills of their
students. This will be an incremental process given that institutional qualifications/programs
have accreditation periods of four to five years before review. In the case of students
undertaking vocational education and training, no such infrastructure exists that requires
institutions to embed CoreLife Skills in their curriculum.
7.7 CHAPTER MESSAGES
Key findings emerging from the analysis of higher education data are as follows:
 Three quarters (76%) of students indicated they started their course straight after finishing
school. The factor of the ‘availability of a good job after a graduation’ was the main
factor that influenced students when selecting their course, although there were some
variations in the importance of factors by gender and nationality:
 Male students were more influenced than female students by the factors of ‘graduate
salary and conditions’ and the ‘opportunity to study overseas later’.
 Non-Emirati students were more influenced than Emirati students by the factors of
‘family wishes’ and ‘reputation of a particular institution’.
 Emirati students were more influenced than non-Emirati students by the factor of the
‘opportunity to study overseas later’.
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133
 Almost two-thirds of students (66%) indicated they have undertaken a foundation
program, with female students and Emirati students more likely than male students and
non-Emirati students respectively to have undertaken a foundation program. In terms of
the effectiveness of these programs:
 53% of students indicated they ‘agree/highly agree’ with the statement “The
foundation course has prepared me well for the course I am currently studying”.
 15% of students were dissatisfied with the foundation program they had undertaken,
when they indicated they ‘disagree/highly disagree’ with the above statement
 32% of students indicated the foundation program was ‘neither effective or ineffective’
– a proxy for ‘unsure’
 Emirati students were more satisfied than non-Emiratis students with foundation programs.
 Many students indicated they have already accessed careers advice (60% of higher
education students) and found this advice to be ‘effective/very effective’ in helping them
to select their course (64%) and decide on their preferred future job (60%). Therefore,
many students intend to access careers advice in the future (65%). However:
 31% of higher education students have never accessed careers advice
 21% of students were ‘unsure’ if they would access careers advice in the future and a
further 10% indicated they were ‘unlikely/very unlikely’ to do so
 students who have not accessed careers advice were less likely than those who have
accessed careers advice to do so in the future
 51% of students who have accessed careers advice and were dissatisfied with this advice
indicated they were ‘unlikely/highly unlikely’ to access careers advice in the future.
 Higher education students are mainly accessing careers advice from family and friends
and careers advisors at educational institutions. They prefer to access advice from careers
advisors and careers events/fairs and direct from employers/mentors. Similar to secondary
school students, higher education students prefer text-based career materials to be
available online rather than in printed/hard copy format.
 Higher education students are more likely than employers and secondary school students
to have not heard of Tanmia. Only 27% of higher education students have heard of this
important government body that helps Emirati job seekers to find work.
 Similar to the secondary school survey, the higher education survey included questions to
gauge students’ understanding of the UAE labour market, with some responses related to
the effectiveness of careers advice. The analysis found that although 56% of students
indicated their knowledge of their preferred job and industry sector of employment was
‘good/very good’, the findings suggest their level of knowledge is much lower.
 Students perceived their level of CoreLife Skills much higher than employers perceived the
level of CoreLife Skills of graduates.

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Chapter 8: Implications and further research
One very important area of research this
project explored was the level of awareness
of the importance of vocational education
and training (VET).
8. Implications and further
research
This chapter discusses implications for each project purpose and
proposes ideas for further research.
8.1 INTRODUCTION
Similar to many countries, the UAE has introduced a national qualifications framework to reform
their education and training system and enhance the international attractiveness and
competitiveness of available skills in their country. The Qualifications Framework for the Emirates
Handbook details the country’s 10-level national qualifications system, known as the
QFEmirates. In response to concerns about the highly technical nature of the Handbook, the
Federal Demographic Council funded the National Qualifications Authority to undertake a
project to explore the following important
areas related to QFEmirates:
1. The extent to which employers
understand the link between
qualifications and occupational
requirements of jobs.
2. The level of awareness among employers and students of the importance of vocational
education and training.
3. Career aspirations of students and the support they need to help them achieve these
order to make well-informed study and career decisions.
4. Employer and student views on generic (CoreLife) skills i.e. skills that underpin work and the
ability of learners to learn throughout their lives i.e. lifelong learning.
5. Employer recruitment practices as well as their hiring intentions over the next two years.
6. Appropriate content for an occupational information guide for employers in the UAE. This
guide is a QFEmirates reference document that aims to help employers match qualifications
with occupational requirements when recruiting and/or training employees. This guide
accompanies the final report for the project.
The rest of this chapter presents the implications for the six areas listed above. Some of these
implications generated ideas for further research discussed at the end of this chapter.

136
The existence of a range of training
providers offering vocational programs and
government bodies responsible for quality
assurance and licensure and programs
accreditation are signs of a developing VET
sector in the UAE.
8.2 QUALIFICATIONS AND JOBS
The first project purpose was to identify the extent to which employers understand the link
between qualifications and occupational requirements of jobs.
This project found that participating employers have a good understanding of the
‘academic’ qualifications, knowledge, skills and experience requirements of jobs at the para-
professional level and above as proposed in the employability indicators in the QFEmirates.
One of the key reasons for this finding is the existence of underpinning infrastructure in the
form of the Commission for Academic Accreditation (CAA), which is a regulatory body of the
Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research. This body is responsible for quality
assuring and regulating institutions and academic qualifications content and nomenclature.
The CAA’s area of regulation though only extends to qualifications from Diploma to
Doctorate (para-professional and above) and not the full array of the new ten (10) level
QFEmirates.
The lack of national underpinning infrastructure for vocational qualifications in the UAE for
employers to reference and draw on is the likely reason for participating employers having a
lower level of understanding of the qualifications, knowledge, skills and experience
requirements below the para-professional level (i.e. Certificate level).
Much work is underway to develop UAE’s VET
sector in terms of quality structures and
processes needed to create a world-class
responsive education and training system. Signs
of an expanding VET sector in terms of
infrastructure include:
 the existence of a range of training providers offering vocational programs, including
dedicated public institutions
 government bodies responsible for quality assurance, licensure and program
accreditation at the national and Emirate level.
‎Table 33 shows large providers offering vocational programs and relevant government bodies
in the UAE. For further details about these providers and bodies, go to:
Appendix 10: VET providers and relevant Government bodies (p. 211)
Recognising the need for national infrastructure for vocational qualifications, the UAE Federal
Government established the National Qualifications Authority in 2010 to:
 develop and implement a national qualifications framework, which is a singular integrated
structure covering qualifications for general education (G12), vocational education, higher
education, work-based training, and professional education and training
 introduce national vocational qualifications that encompass national occupational skills
standards i.e. what an employee is expected to know and do in work

137
 establish quality assurance regulatory arrangements for those approved institutions who
wish to develop curricula and provide training and assessment to prospective learners for
the respective national vocational qualifications
 involve industry as a major stakeholder in the development and approval of vocational
qualifications, which will lead to a closer relevance of qualifications with employment
requirements.
Table 33 Providers of vocational programs and key government bodies
Providers of vocational programs
Latest data from the Commission for Academic Accreditation indicates there are 10 licensed
institutions offering vocational programs in the UAE. The British Council identified three providers in
the non-federal sector (licensed by CAA) that offer both higher education programs and programs
in “truly vocational areas directed at particular fields of employment”.65 They are the Emirates
Academy of Hospitality Management, Al Khawarizmi International College and American University
of Sharjah. For a list of CAA-licensed higher education institutions, including those that offer
vocational programs, go to:
Appendix 11: CAA-licensed higher education institutions in the UAE (p. 216)
Large providers of vocational programs include the Abu Dhabi Vocational Education & Training
Institute (ADVETI), Institute of Applied Technology (IAT), Applied Technology Higher Schools (ATHS),
Secondary Technical Schools (STS), Sharjah Institute of Technology, Vocational Education
Development Centre (VEDC) and National Institute for Vocational Education (NIVE).
There are many colleges, institutes, schools, training centres and academies in the UAE that are not
licensed by CAA and not offering programs accredited by the CAA. For example:
 the Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA) currently has around 250 training
institutes on its database66
 Dubai Knowledge Village is home to around 80 training institutes67
 the Abu Dhabi Centre for Technical and Vocational Education and Training currently licenses 66
training providers.68
For a list of some of these providers, go to:
Appendix 12: Selected colleges, institutes, training centres and academies in the UAE (p. 218)
Key government bodies
 The National Qualifications Authority (NQA) is undertaking a range of activities to enhance the
quality of technical, vocational and professional education in the UAE.
 The Commission for Academic Accreditation (CAA) licenses universities and colleges and
accredits individual programs, including colleges offering vocational programs.
 The Abu Dhabi Centre for Technical and Vocational Education and Training (ACTVET) regulates
technical and vocational institutes in Abu Dhabi.
 The Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA) oversees the direction and quality
of private education and learning in Dubai.
65 British Council (2013). Other Vocational Providers. Retrieved January 30, 2013, from
http://www.britishcouncil.org/learning-skills-for-employability-uae-country-vocational-training-vt-providers
66 Knowledge and Human Development Authority (2013). Private Education Institution Directory. Retrieved
February 4, 2013, from, http://www.khda.gov.ae/En/Directory/directory.aspx
67 UAEfreezones.com (2013). UAE Freezone Directory for Training Institutes. Retrieved February 4, 2013, from,
http://www.uaefreezones.com/UFZOnlineDirectory.aspx
68 Abu Dhabi Centre for Technical and Vocational Education and Training, Licensed Training Centres, Retrieved
January 30, 2013, from http://www.actvet.ac.ae/en/licensing/LicensingTrainingCentre.aspx

138
Infrastructure for vocational qualifications
will encourage international mobility by
enabling qualifications achieved abroad to
be recognised as equivalent to UAE
qualifications.
Apart from ensuring employers and other key stakeholders have a better understanding of the
link between vocational qualifications and occupational requirements of jobs, implementing
underpinning infrastructure for vocational qualifications will:
 create new learning pathways and progression routes
 help individuals to make decisions about what they want to do next and to continue
learning while working or in their community
 improve opportunities for individuals to work
abroad without having to repeat
qualifications
 enable people to be recognised for the work
they do in the workplace and communities
as part of their development
 enable qualifications achieved abroad to be recognised as equivalent to UAE
qualifications, encouraging international mobility
 develop a language to describe national and international qualifications that employers
and learners can understand. Employers will be able to state clearly the education or
training required when advertising jobs. Candidates will be able to check whether they
have the skills required to apply.
In summary, dedicated infrastructure in the form of respected providers of vocational
programs and government bodies responsible for quality assurance, licensure and program
accreditation are significant steps in building a world-class VET sector for the UAE. The
National Qualifications Authority will lead national efforts by establishing and maintaining
standards and regulations for technical, vocational and professional education and training.
These standards and regulations must keep pace with scientific and technological progress
and meet the requirements of economic and social development.69 The Authority will
facilitate the development of industry-led national vocational qualifications based on labour
market requirements. It will also implement a national qualifications framework that is a
national frame of reference for all qualifications in the UAE, including vocational
qualifications. In time, these efforts will raise employers’ understanding of the nature and
benefits of vocational qualifications.
69 National Qualifications Authority (2012). Qualifications Framework Emirates Handbook. Retrieved February 6,
2013, from http://www.nqa.gov.ae/pdf/QF%20Handbook_v1b_28_Feb_2012.pdf, p. 13.

139
Similar to many other countries, UAE faces
the challenge of making vocational
qualifications and careers attractive to
employers and students.
8.3 IMPORTANCE OF VOCATIONAL EDUCATION AND TRAINING
The second project purpose was to identify the extent to which employers and students are
aware of the importance of vocational education and training.
Vocational education and training (VET) appears regularly in literature about national welfare
and prosperity. Coupled with technological advances, vocational education and training
influences and is influenced by social, political and even cultural considerations. The
development of a strong VET sector within an education and training system remains vital in
debates on the economic and social wellbeing as well as global standing of a nation.
The World Economic Forum in its Global Competitiveness Report for 2012-2013 has recognised
the importance of vocational and continuous on-the-job training by including it in the fifth
pillar of competitiveness called Higher Education and Training:
Quality higher education and training is particularly crucial for economies that want to
move up the value chain beyond simple production processes and products. In particular,
today’s globalizing economy requires countries to nurture pools of well-educated workers
who are able to perform complex tasks and adapt rapidly to their changing environment
and the evolving needs of the economy. This pillar measures secondary and tertiary
enrollment rates as well as the quality of education as evaluated by the business
community. The extent of staff training is also taken into consideration because of the
importance of vocational and continuous on-the-job training – which is neglected in many
economies – for ensuring a constant upgrading of workers’ skills.70
Findings from this project confirm what is experienced in many countries – a low level of
interest in and/or awareness and understanding among some employers and students of
vocational qualifications:
 Some employers indicated a low level of
understanding of occupations that
require a Certificate 4 (e.g. typically held
by skilled trade workers) or lower. Overall,
employers identified fewer occupations
that require qualifications at these levels
most likely because they are not employing many people with these qualifications and/or
are employing people without the vocational qualifications normally required for their jobs.
 Although employers indicated that work experience is an important factor influencing
their recruitment decisions, they placed greater importance on the qualifications of a
candidate. They prefer candidates with a Bachelor degree, followed by post-graduate
qualifications (i.e. Masters degree and Graduate Diploma). Although there was some
interest in candidates holding a Diploma or Associate degree, there was little interest in
candidates holding Certificates.
 Only 4% of all secondary students who participated in this project intend to study at a
vocational institute after finishing school.
70 World Economic Forum (2012). The Global Competitiveness Report 2012-2013. Retrieved January 29, 2013,
from http://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_GlobalCompetitivenessReport_2012-13.pdf, p. 5

140
Efforts should focus on steering students into
disciplines that meet a country’s labour
market needs rather than into universities to
obtain a degree that they may never use.
 The Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Foundation’s Arab Knowledge Report 2009.
Towards Productive Intercommunication for Knowledge explains that students are
reluctant to enter vocational programs as they ‘flock’ to university programs to obtain a
prestigious degree that may not lead to
relevant employment.
 The 2012 Middle East Job Index71 found that
UAE employers are looking for candidates
holding Bachelor degrees or higher,
particularly in Engineering, Business
Management and Commerce, although some expressed an interest in Administrative
occupations (occupations that typically require vocational qualifications).
 A 2009 study by PA Consulting72 of the opinions of 330 stakeholders on UAE’s education
system found that some students and teachers indicated insufficient opportunities for
students to undertake vocational programs as well as school facilities that do not
accommodate subjects with practical elements.
 Walstab and Lamb (2008) and Batterham and Levesley (2011) identified several reasons
hindering engagement in the VET that are relevant to the UAE. Barriers include a lack of
VET facilities (in some parts of the UAE); low awareness of the VET sector; negative attitudes
about vocational qualifications; cultural barriers; and teachers and parents not
encouraging young people to consider vocational options.
 Al-Ali (2007) argued that UAE Nationals have a negative attitude to physically demanding
work (such as building and nursing) and in some rural and remote parts of the UAE, woman
are traditionally restricted to occupations were genders do not mix (such as teaching).73
The Arab Knowledge Report 2009. Towards Productive Intercommunication for Knowledge
argues that Arab countries continue to focus on expanding their higher education sector
rather than steering students into disciplines that meet a country’s labour market needs:
In general, there are no specific plans in Arab universities for steering students and
setting intake guidelines for the various disciplines in terms of their relationship with the
domestic and foreign labor markets. Many Arab countries have expanded their
university systems, opening new branches and universities in many of their cities, but
not in accordance with any comprehensive ordering of the actual needs of these
countries. If anything, this has compounded the problems of higher education.
Moreover, many countries have merely cloned their universities, with little thought for
the relationship between the university and its immediate environment. This begs the
question as to the limitations inherent in the type of expansion that fails to embrace
the quality of the complex relationship between the university and its designated
functions within a particular community from the standpoints of internal coherence,
openness to the immediate environment, and escape from the “ivory tower”. 74
72 PA Consulting (2009). Curriculum Reform Program – A case for change.
Sociology and Social Policy. Vol 28, No. 9/10. Emerald Publishing Limited, p. 367
http://www.mbrfoundation.ae/English/Documents/AKR-2009-En/AKR-English.pdf. 9. 11, p.114.

141
The UAE is investing heavily to improve
education and training outcomes. In the
longer-term, these efforts should address
international concerns about the insufficient
supply of skilled Nationals.
This project identified some concerning indicators of the performance of UAE’s education
and training system that impact on the development of the country’s VET sector.
 Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Foundation’s Arab Knowledge Report 2009. Towards
Productive Intercommunication for Knowledge75 states that UAE’s enrolment rate in
vocational and technical education at 1.3% in 2003 was the lowest of all Arab countries
 The World Economic Forum’s Global Competitiveness Report 2012-2013 ranks the UAE 86
out of 144 economies for Gross Tertiary Education Enrolment (a rate of 22.5% for 2003) and
56 out of 144 economies for Secondary Education Enrollment76 (a rate of 92.3% for 2006).
This report also indicates that an
inadequately educated workforce was
the third most problematic factor for
businesses seeking to do business in the
UAE.
 The Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum
Foundation, Arab Human Capital Challenge report, 2007: Voice of CEOs found that “only
half of the CEOs surveyed believe that there are sufficient numbers of qualified students
coming out of the education system, with 54% citing that new graduates carry the right
skills set”.77 Only 14% of CEOs from the UAE expressed satisfaction with the sufficient supply
of skilled Nationals.
 The same report includes the Education Capability Index, which “represents CEO
satisfaction levels related to the education system based on the current quality, the
adequate skills acquired by students upon graduating and the ability of the education
system to meet future market requirements. Overall it is particularly low in the Arab region
at a mere 42.6 points”72 – the UAE scored 41.3 points.
Note: this report acknowledges that some of the above data is out of date.
UAE leaders through government vision statements (such as UAE Vision 2021 and specific Abu
Dhabi and Dubai Emirate Vision statements 2030 and 2015) have recognised the urgent need
to reform the country’s education and training system to address these issues and meet the
needs of the new knowledge economy. The UAE Government has included vocational
training in one of the strategic directions in its UAE Government Strategy 2011-2013:
Encouraging participation and enhance capabilities of the Emirati workforce by
matching the education system with labor market requirements, increasing
participation of Emiratis in the work force, improving the capability and productivity of
the Emirati work force, developing vocational training, enhancing and enforcing
Emiratization programs, and encouraging the creation of job opportunities in the
Northern Emirates.78
76 Secondary Education Enrollment: The reported value corresponds to the ratio of total secondary enrollment,
regardless of age, to the population of the age group that officially corresponds to the secondary education level.
Retrieved November 19, 2012, from http://www.mbrfoundation.ae/English/Documents/AHCC-%20English.pdf, p. 5
78 UAE Federal Government (2011). Highlights of the UAE Government Strategy 2011-2013. Retrieved January 29, 2013,
from http://www.uaecabinet.ae/English/Documents/PMO%20StrategyDocEngFinV2.pdf, p. 12.

142
The UAE lacks a way to measure the
development and progress of UAE’s VET
sector. It needs to collect, track and report
data to enable rigorous international
comparisons and rankings.
Strong investment in the education and training system together with reforms like Abu Dhabi’s
New School Model (introduced in 2010) will undoubtedly benefit the VET sector. Other data
from the Global Competitiveness Report 2012-2013 indicate signs of a positive impact of this
investment in the country’s education and training system. The UAE ranked 17th out of 144
countries for:
 the quality of its educational system, in terms of meeting the needs of a competitive economy
 the quality of its maths and science education
 company investment in training and employee development.
In summary, the country’s visions for its education and training system, which encompass
vocational education, raise the bar as to the actions and reforms envisaged to improve the
quality of outcomes of technical, vocational and professional education in the UAE.
However, findings presented in this section indicate much work is needed to build the
confidence among employers and individuals of the benefits of vocational programs and
occupations.
Overtime, infrastructure developments (discussed in the previous section) and awareness
raising strategies (discussed in the next section) will help address this issue. What is missing at
this stage is a way to measure the progress of
the development of UAE’s VET sector. Some of
the indicators presented in this section are out
of date, do not focus sufficiently on vocational
enrolments and outcomes, and do not allow for
rigorous international comparison and rankings.
In summary, one of the roles of the National Qualifications Authority is to collect, analyse and
provide qualifications-relevant data. The timely collection of this data will require data-sharing
agreements with providers of vocational programs, licensing and program accreditation
bodies, different ministries (such as the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research)
and statistical bodies (such as UAE’s National Bureau of Statistics and Statistics Centre - Abu
Dhabi). It will take some time before the UAE has a centralised data collection system for VET
statistics. What is possible in the near future is the development of a ‘Pocket Guide’ or similar
that consists of vocational information and statistics that are available from the above
bodies. The ‘Pocket Guide’ is discussed in more detail in the section on ideas for further
research in this chapter.

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Given the public sector is expected to
experience lower levels of growth in the
future, young people must prepare
themselves for careers in the private sector.
8.4 CAREER ASPIRATIONS OF STUDENTS
The third project purpose was to identify the career aspirations of students and the support they
need to help them achieve these aspirations, which includes gaining a good understanding of
the UAE labour market in order to make well-informed study and career decisions.
Two main themes arose from the analysis of data related to the career aspirations of students.
First, there is a need to improve participation by Emiratis in vocational programs that lead to
sustainable careers in the private sector.
Many students who participated in this study prefer to work in the public sector and believe
this sector offers good employment opportunities:
 Nearly half of all secondary students and higher education students prefer to work in the
public sector, due likely to perceptions that remuneration, job security, hours of work, work
content and longer vacations are better in the public sector than in the private sector.79
 Forty-eight percent (48%) of secondary school students and 37% of higher education
students indicated there would be more jobs in the public sector in the future.
According to the soon to be released,
Occupations and Careers Handbook for
UAE Nationals80, the public sector is likely to
experience lower levels of employment
growth compared to the industry (growth)
sectors of Energy Resources, Logistics and Transport, Utilities and Infrastructure, Building and
Construction, and Manufacturing. Increases in public sector jobs in the areas policy,
regulation and quality services are expected.
The Handbook includes profiles for 155 occupations regarded as critical, sustainable and
attractive jobs for UAE Nationals. Many of these occupations are in the private sector and
require a vocational qualification. For a list of these profiles, go to:
Appendix 13: Critical, sustainable and attractive jobs for UAE Nationals (p. 220)
Regardless of how attractive these occupations may be to UAE Nationals, increasing their
participation in the private sector will remain a challenge for some time. Data from
GulfTalent.com (2012) shows UAE Nationals accounted for 7% of total private sector
employment in 2011 – this is the second lowest nationalisation rate in the Gulf region. The 2011
article, Emiratisation: The Way Forward?81, identified two key challenges to Emiratisation in the
private sector:
Sociology and Social Policy. Vol 28, No. 9/10. Emerald Publishing Limited, pp. 367-368.
81 Instead Knowledge (2011, July 25). Emiratisation: The way forward?
http://knowledge.insead.edu/economics-politics/emiratisation-the-way-forward-1346

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Companies have a responsibility to provide
young Emiratis with proper training and on-
the-job experience to enable them to run
their country in the future.
 How to meet young Emiratis’ high, often unrealistic, expectations (confirmed by this project)
 How to convince expatriates on generous salary packages that they have a responsibility
to assist in a programme of which the success will most likely leave them redundant.
HSBC’s regional head of corporate sustainability, Ammar Shams, points out the dilemma that
companies face when employing Emiratis:
[On one hand], The Emirati community is a tight-knit network of families and allegiances
and until recently who you were or knew was reflected in your position within the public
service. Gaining access to this tight circle of contacts and inside knowledge of how the
government works, whom to turn to and how to get things done, are some of the
advantages of hiring Emiratis, according to HSBC’s regional head of corporate
sustainability, Ammar Shams.
[On the other hand], “Emiratisation for any company is a business decision, not a
corporate social responsibility”, Shams told INSEAD Knowledge. “If you want to enter a
market you have to invest in that market”. That is not an inexpensive commitment. Fresh
out of university, inexperienced Emiratis can command a starting salary of more than
AED 20,000 (US$5,450) a month, with the expectation of rapid promotion.
The article acknowledges the efforts of UAE
Governments in investing in self-reliance through
education, leadership training and
entrepreneurial programmes. It discusses the
importance of motivating young Emiratis to want
to learn the job; companies providing Emiratis with proper training and on-the-job experience
(rather than just filling quotas); and multinational companies empowering Nationals to run
their country:
“We need to find work for young Emiratis to keep them motivated and to create a
strong nation,” says one Emirati director of an Abu Dhabi government health services
agency, declining to be named given the sensitivity of the issue. “But we need to have
the best people working in the jobs. Before they take on the roles, we need to train our
young people to educate them and ensure they want to be trained and are prepared
to learn the job”.
Young Emiratis, too, say that while companies can be forced to take on extra nationals
they can’t be forced to accept them. Amnah bin Bahar, a trainee commercial
manager, says there is already a feeling among Emiratis that private-sector companies
are going through the motions, filling quotas rather than offering Emiratis proper training
and on-the-job-experience. “While it’s good to have an advantage on getting a job,
there is a downside in how you are treated once you’re in the position,” she says.
Stephan Schubert, Affiliated Professor of Strategy at INSEAD’s Abu Dhabi campus, says it
is time foreign businesses reassessed their attitude to Emiratisation and realised their
positions within the country were always going to be temporary. “The definition of
Emiratisation depends on where you’re sitting,” he notes. “Multinational companies
tend to look at it as a tax you have to pay for working in the region. [But] if you are in
the public sector you will view it as a priority, something that must be done to build the
nation. It is empowering nationals to run the country”.

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Students’ level of understanding of the UAE
labour market is lower than they perceive it
to be, which hinders their ability to make
well-informed study and careers decisions.
For further extracts from this informative article, go to:
Appendix 14: Extracts from article, Emiratisation: The way forward? (p. 224)
The article, Salaries for Emiratis can be a national road block82, also discusses the difficulty in
attracting Emirati graduates to the private sector due to higher salaries in the public sector.
Eisa Ali Za-abi, deputy general manager of the Emirates Institute for Banking and Finance
argued that although UAE Nationals may have high expectations joining the public sector, the
reality is different:
He [Eisa Ali Za-abi ] said fresh graduates face limited teamwork, irregular follow up on
discipline and punctuality, no culture of long working hours, a lack of mentors, unclear
career progression and competition with expatriates.
The same article included comments from Hanan Al Fardan from the Knowledge and Human
Development Authority's Higher Education Department that high entry level salaries were not
applicable to all entry level positions for Emirati graduates.
Second, there is a need to improve students’ access to careers advice and deliver this advice
in a way that improves their knowledge of the UAE labour market.
In terms of access to careers advice, it is concerning that around 30% of secondary school
students and almost 40% of higher education students who participated in this project have
never accessed careers advice. On the positive side, many students who have accessed
careers advice felt this advice was effective and that they would access it again in the
future. Some students who were dissatisfied with the careers advice indicated they would not
or were unsure if they would access careers advice again.
This project has a particular interest in finding out students’ level of understanding about the
UAE labour market because of its importance in helping them to make well-informed study
and career decisions. Effective careers advice should increase students’ awareness of the
occupations and industry sectors that provide good employment opportunities. Students must
also know about careers services offered outside educational institutions.
Over half of the students indicated they
have ‘good/very good’ knowledge about
their preferred job and industry sector of
employment (i.e. 49% of secondary school
students and 56% of higher education
students). This project also found that students who have accessed careers advice indicated
a higher level of understanding of their preferred future job and industry sector of
employment than those students who have not accessed careers advice.
However, students’ responses to related survey questions indicate their level of knowledge of
their preferred job and industry sector of employment is lower than they perceive it to be:
 Many students have unrealistic salary expectations in terms of the salary of graduates in their
preferred jobs and the minimum salary they expect to receive before accepting a job.
82 Gulf News.com (2011, April 27). Salaries for Emiratis can be a career road block. Retrieved from
http://gulfnews.com/news/gulf/uae/employment/salaries-for-emiratis-can-be-a-career-road-block-1.799599

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Obtaining a good job after graduation was
very important to most students. However,
many students were unsure how easy or
difficult it would be to find a job and others
indicated it would be difficult.
Some students even want a salary that is above what they believe a graduate in their
preferred job would earn. Notable findings from salary expectation questions are as follows:
 23% of higher education students expect a minimum monthly salary of between AED
20,000 and over a month before taking a job, and a further 25% of students were
‘unsure’ about the starting salary of graduates in their preferred job.
 24% of secondary school students (mostly males) expect a minimum monthly salary of
between AED 20,000 and AED 39,999 a month before taking a job, and a further 38%
expect a minimum monthly salary of AED 40,000 and over before taking a job.
 Both secondary students and higher
education students indicated the
‘availability of a good job after graduation’
was the main factor influencing their
decision to select a course. Yet their
responses to questions about a) the
‘ease/difficulty’ in finding work in their preferred job; b) changes to the number of jobs of
interest to them; and c) industry sectors that offer good employment opportunities suggest
many students do not know if their selected course would actually provide a ‘good job
after graduation’:
 29% of secondary school students and 41% of higher education students indicated it
would be ‘difficult/very difficult’ to find work in their preferred job. A further 60% of
secondary school students and 44% of higher education students were unsure given
they responded ‘not easy or difficult’ to this question.
 50% of secondary school students and 42% of higher education students indicated the
number of jobs of interest to them would increase in the future. The remaining students
indicated ‘less jobs’, ‘no change’ or ‘unsure’.
 Generally, students were not able to identify growth sectors with good employment
opportunities and/or narrow down their response to a couple of sectors. Many students
were not interested in pursuing jobs in the growth sectors of Logistics and Transport,
Utilities and Infrastructure, and Manufacturing (probably due to a lack of awareness of
opportunities in these sectors).
Addressing the disparity in salary and conditions between the public and private sectors was
beyond the scope of this study suffice to suggest unless this matter is addressed the number of
UAE Nationals seeking employment will continue to rise whilst expatriates at lower salary costs
will dominate the private sector. The dichotomy is that there will always be more jobs than
there are UAE Nationals. However, engaging their interest in the productive, innovative and
entrepreneurship (private) sector of the economy requires innovative initiatives and support
systems.
Many students indicated they have received careers advice from sources outside of
educational institutions. For both secondary school students and higher education students,
family/friends and careers events/fairs are key sources of advice. This project did not
investigate the effectiveness of each source in providing students with timely information
about the UAE labour market. In the case of parents as a source of advice, a study by
Batterham and Levesley (2011) found that:

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For careers advice and initiatives to be
successful, they must be packaged and
delivered in a way that meets students’
preferences.
Parents lack the confidence to advise their children on vocational qualifications,
despite high levels of confidence advising on education and employment. This suggests
that parents are not able to support their children taking vocational options as
effectively as for other routes.83
Their study also found that parents who are ‘confident’ about giving their children information
and advice about education and employment a) held a Bachelor degree or higher;
b) already had children in employment, education or training; and c) were not from minority
groups.
The scope of this project did also not cover identifying the range of careers services available in
the UAE. It did find though that the majority of secondary school students could access careers
advice at school and that there are initiatives in place that promote vocational occupations.
For example, Dubai’s vocational education and guidance (academic counsellors) project for
public schools, the annual Najah Education and Training Exhibition and Careers Fair, and the
soon to be released Occupations and Careers Handbook for UAE Nationals. Unfortunately,
student awareness of Tanmia is low, with 57% of secondary school students and 69% of higher
education students not aware or unsure of the Authority’s existence.
This project has identified a need for careers
services and initiatives that inform students
about the UAE labour market. These services
and initiatives must also be packaged and
delivered in a way that meets student
preferences:
 49% of secondary students and 48% of higher education students want to receive careers
advice directly from employers.
 43% of secondary students and 41% of higher education students want to be mentored by
someone who is working in a job of interest to them.
 Only 24% of secondary students and 23% of higher education students prefer printed
materials, with a greater proportion of students preferring text-based materials to be
available online.
This project confirms the need to raise both students’ and parents’ awareness of the
importance of careers advice and the availability of careers advice inside and outside
educational institutions. Careers advice must include timely information about the UAE labour
market and be packaged and delivered according to student preferences. Educational
institutions must have careers advisors who can equip students with knowledge about
sustainable careers. Institutions also need resources to broker opportunities for students to
interact directly with employers. Employers need to take a more active role in creating
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It is the joint responsibility of individuals,
teaching institutions, workplaces and other
relevant groups to foster the development
of CoreLife Skills.
In summary, there is a need to educate and encourage students (particularly UAE Nationals)
about critical, sustainable and attractive jobs in the private sector. This must occur as early as
possible in secondary schools so that students can select a) the right subjects before starting
their secondary school certificate; b) select the right course if they decide to pursue further
study; and c) look for the right job after finishing school or graduating from further study.
Therefore, there is a pressing need for a national careers strategy that links careers services
and initiatives together to ensure they are “singing the same song” when it comes to
promoting critical, sustainable and attractive career opportunities in the UAE. This strategy
must consider the challenges facing Emiratisation in the UAE, in particular how to address
young Emiratis’ unrealistic expectations and how to convince foreign businesses that they
have a responsibility to provide Emiratis with proper training and on-the-job experience. The
public sector is also responsible for creating a work culture that instills in Emirati graduates a
work ethic similar to that required in the private sector.
8.5 CORELIFE SKILLS
The fourth project purpose was to identify employer and student views on generic (CoreLife)
skills i.e. skills that underpin work and the ability of learners to learn throughout their lives
(lifelong learning).
Many countries have introduced ways to acknowledge the role particular ‘generic’ skills play
in underpinning work, learning and life. Although countries may define ‘generic’ skills
differently (for example, transferable skills in France, employability skills in Australia, critical
enabling skills in Singapore), their purpose is largely the same:
Employers seek to ensure business success by recruiting and retaining employees who
have a variety of skills and personal attributes, as well as technical skills. Individuals also
need a range of generic skills to form and maintain family and community relationships.
Put simply, generic skills are those that apply across a variety of jobs and life contexts.84
The title for generic skills or key competencies in the UAE is CoreLife Skills. As stated in the
QFEmirates Handbook, “this title endeavours to cover and promote as a brand, the general
intent and nature of the key competencies or generic skills. That is, that they are considered
core; essential skills that underpin and support performance and functionality in work, learning
and everyday life”.85
84 National Centre for Vocational Education Research (2003). Defining generic skills: At a glance. Retrieved
February 5, 2013, from
http://www.ncver.edu.au/google_search.html?cx=005466847542416725873%3Aerakacnadz0&cof=FORID%3
A11&ie=UTF-8&q=generic+skills
85 National Qualification Authority (2012). Qualifications Framework for the Emirates Handbook. Retrieved
February 5, 2013, from http://www.nqa.gov.ae/pdf/QF%20Handbook_v1b_28_Feb_2012.pdf

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According to Australia’s National Centre for Vocational Education Research in its report, Fostering
generic skills in VET programs and workplaces86, it is the joint responsibility of individuals, teaching
institutions, workplaces and other relevant groups to foster the development of generic skills in VET
programs and workplaces. This report includes specific approaches to developing generic skills
that training organisations and workplaces in the UAE could apply (‎Table 34).
Table 34 Approaches to develop generic skills in VET programs and workplaces87
In general
 Promote their importance
 Develop mechanisms for communicating the scope of generic skills
 Use authentic experiences
 Use team-based and integrated approaches to foster generic skills
In training organisations
 Use learning strategies such as workplace projects, community projects, mini-companies or practice
firms, critical incidents to focus discussion and problem-solving, investigation or enquiry-based
learning, problem-solving learning, project learning, and reflective learning and workplace practice
 Identify teachers who have high levels of experience in fostering generic skills
 Develop networks to discuss and enhance practice and/or use team-based approaches to their
teaching, learning and assessment
 Share appropriate support resources
In the workplace
 Make generic skills a key feature in job descriptions and recruitment process
 Use a range of ways to help familiarise staff (including induction programs) so that they learn what
the organisation expects in terms of key employability skills, standards of work and the key attributes
it expects of its employees
 Model the behaviours sought (which can be made more formal by discussing the approaches
being modelled at an appropriate occasion)
 Use buddy or mentoring approaches, or working alongside another employee (a less formal version
of the buddy or mentor approach)
 Use rotation of tasks or working at higher duties where relevant
 Use relevant targeted training for workplace supervisors to help them develop employability skills in
their staff
 Use staff or teams to role play or discuss particular procedures or issues, such as dealing with difficult
customers within workplace requirements
 Use quality circles and improvement teams to examine processes and other issues in the company
or work unit
 Use work-based projects to assist the development of employability skills
 Use staff assessment and the performance management system to reflect on these skills
 Use critical incidents, including dealing with mistakes, conflict resolution or performance problems
 Involve staff in appropriate community projects
86 National Centre for Vocational Education Research (2003). Fostering generic skills in VET programs and
workplaces. Retrieved February 5, 2013, from
A11&ie=UTF-8&q=generic+skills
87 National Centre for Vocational Education Research (2003). Fostering generic skills in VET programs and
A11&ie=UTF-8&q=generic+skills, p. 4.

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There are a number of barriers to improving
the generic skills of individuals that must be
addressed to improve their employability.
Efforts by relevant stakeholders to improve the
generic skills of individuals (and therefore, their
employability) must consider the barriers88 that
they face. The UK Commission for Employment
and Skills (2010) identified barriers related to engaging employers, addressing the skills
mismatch, engaging ‘hard to reach’ individuals, focusing on sustainable employment, and
raising the profile of employability skills for providers and individuals. Those barriers that seem
most relevant to the UAE are as follows:
 Employers may not support individuals to develop their employability; engage in the
development and delivery of employability initiatives; and/or adequately identify and
articulate their skills, made particularly difficult when:
… many employers have not formally thought about their skills and workforce needs
and how these relate to business needs for the medium to longer term which is likely
to impact on their ability to identify their future skills requirements and thus shape
future provision. (p. 38)
 Employers are not aware of the range of available employability initiatives that would help
them further develop the skills of employees.
 Education and training provision may not respond to new skills requirements of employers
causing a mismatch between the skills needed and the skills held by people looking for work:
There is a need for the policy-making community and training and education providers
to better understand the new skills that are regarded as fundamental to being
employable by businesses. Employability skills, particularly person-to-person and
aesthetic skills are not easy to define and accredit with formal qualifications, and this
can be problematic for education and training providers and funders. (p. 42)
 Employers preferring in-house training due to their negative perceptions of the ability of
schools and colleges to provide young people with the skills they need.
 Individuals may not have adequate access to opportunities to engage them in activities
to improve their employability and basic skills due to a lack of employment-related
information that provides them with:
Although the situation has been improved, there is a need for better labour market
and careers information and advice at the point of exit from school and higher
education and through organisations such as Jobcentre Plus. In addition, related to
this, there is evidence that those who have been out of the labour market for some
time tend to aspire to jobs in which they have had previous experience or have some
knowledge. In some local areas, these jobs can be in declining industries, and there is
a lack of understanding amongst this group about where the new opportunities are
and what sorts of skills (including employability skills) are required (article cited Nickson
et al., 2003). (p. 42)
88 UK Commission for Employment and Skills (2010). Employability Skills: A Research and Policy Briefing. Retrieved
February, 5, 2013, from http://www.ukces.org.uk/assets/ukces/docs/publications/briefing-paper-
employability-skills.pdf

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Young people may recognise that
qualifications and work experience are
important to their employability – but do
they realise their personal qualities and
character might also influence their career?
 Employers not fulfilling their responsibility to provide training and development in key
employability skills that helps employees build on their initial skill sets and/or keep their skills
up to date.
 Limited action to address a wide range of individual problems and barriers to work such as
the perceived financial disincentives to accessing training, lack of confidence and the
intimidating image of formal training – all negatively affect motivation for some individuals.
 People equipped with the skills to get a job but not to stay in work because they do not
have up-to-date skills needed to provide them with sustainable employment.
 Education and training providers not
prioritising and embedding employability
skills into their provision, which requires
leadership support within the institution or
provider, adequate resources, skilled
teachers and measures of success.
 Lack of profile and low awareness of the importance of employability skills for individuals:
The Industry in Education report (1996) found that young people did not consider how
their personal qualities and character might influence their career, believing that
employers were only interested in qualifications. A recent investigation into young
people’s views about employability (Edge, 2010) found that young people did
recognise that experience was important (alongside qualifications) but often only as
they got older, either at university or when trying to enter the job market. Until learners
fully appreciate the role that employability skills can play in supporting their career
development it is unlikely that they will fully engage in gaining them. (p. 44)
In summary, one way for educational institutions to address the challenge of improving the
CoreLife Skills of students is through their teaching methods and content. The Commission for
Academic Accreditation (CAA) in the UAE has recognised the importance of CoreLife Skills
by adopting the QFEmirates as part of its licensure and accreditation standards. However,
improvements to an individual’s level of CoreLife Skills can take some time as many
institutional qualifications and programs have accreditation periods of four to five years
before review. This section of the report identified a range of approaches to develop an
individual’s CoreLife Skills in vocational programs and workplaces that do not revolve around
accreditation periods. Educational institutions, employers, individuals and other relevant
stakeholders must work together to provide graduates entering the labour market with the
necessary skills to gain and remain in sustainable employment. Employers should not set their
expectations too high by expecting graduates to be ‘work competent’ rather than ‘work
ready’. Individuals must understand the importance of CoreLife Skills to their current and
future employability.

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Institutions should provide students with
opportunities to gain workplace knowledge,
skills and experience during their studies.
8.6 EMPLOYER RECRUITMENT PRACTICES AND HIRING INTENTIONS
The fifth project purpose was to identify employer recruitment practices as well as their hiring
intentions over the next two years.
May employers who participated in this project highly value work experience. However,
graduates typically develop their work experience post the qualification rather than during
their studies. Many students who participated in this project indicated a desire to interact
directly from employers, including being mentored by someone who is working in a job of
interest to them.
It is well known that employers are best placed to provide the most conducive environment for
learners to develop workplace knowledge, skills and experiences and to better understand
workplace culture. Workplace experiences significantly improve individuals’ awareness of
potential career pathways and ladders that they can pursue within their field of work/study.
Smith and Harris (2001)89 identified benefits,
challenges and effective practices of work
placements in VET courses that also apply to
courses in other education sectors:
Benefits for students: Learning new skills and applying existing ones, learning how to behave
at work, experiencing a variety of workplaces, a chance to practise on more modern or
different equipment, learning from other students’ experiences, becoming empowered by
success and wider knowledge, and an increase in skills and in finding a job. (p. 22)
Benefits for employers: An extra pair of hands, staff development opportunity for supervisors
and mentors, a chance to try out potential employees, philanthropic and advertising
function, finding out about other available courses from the educational provider, an
increase in the skills pool in local and national labour markets, and a better understanding of
the national VET system. (p. 22)
Benefits for VET providers and teachers: Learning about latest developments in workplaces,
networking, chance to enrol employees or sell consultancy services, potential for involving
employers in other activities, for example, employer groups, increased repertoire of
workplace anecdotes for classroom teaching, and increased appreciation by students of
classroom learning. (p. 23)
Challenges of work placements:
.. resourcing, professional development, tensions between workplace and provider
cultures, variations in quality of workplace learning environments and equity in access.
The issue of quality in particular has been underlined; work placements are very
dependent on the calibre and orientation of the workplace mentor(s) and on the
breadth and depth of experience possible in any particular workplace. (p. 2)
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‎Table 35 presents work placement practices for practitioners, providers and in policy terms
proposed by Smith and Harris (2000, p. 4) for Australia that could also considered in the UAE.
Table 35 Workplace practices for practitioners, providers and in policy terms
For practitioners
 Careful consideration in recruiting and keeping host employers
 Close monitoring of workplaces for quality in the learning environments which they provide for
placement students
 A need for clarification of mutual expectations and responsibilities
 Attention to the preparation of students before, support during, and debriefing after
undertaking work placements
 Recognition of the student as the ‘meat in the sandwich’
 Maintaining a constant dialogue with host employers
 Access to information and literature about good practice in work placement policies,
arrangements and practices
 Access to professional development about the work placement process
For providers
 Professional development for (both provider and workplace) coordinators involved in work
placement arrangements a more co-ordinated approach to placements as an important and
cross-discipline part of the curriculum
 Clarification for all parties of the purpose of each placement and an evaluation of placements
against those purposes
 Adequate resourcing of placements rather than viewing them as a cheap alternative to on-
campus delivery
In policy terms
 Gather and disseminate information about work placement policies, arrangements and
practices
 A recognition of problems inherent in work placements to adequately addressed them
 Official encouragement (and perhaps including incentives) for employers to participate, given
that benefits for them beyond their philanthropic contribution to the ‘social good’ are often
not evident
 Greater, and critical, attention to what happens to students on placements and what they
learn
 Partnership and dialogue with providers of VET teacher training to ensure inclusion of
placement issues in the curriculum for VET teachers
 Provision of professional development for work placement co-ordinators
 Adequate resourcing of work placements, particularly time to carefully prepare and debrief
students, and for providers to visit and support students during placement, activities not always
funded within current formulae
 Funding of further research in the ‘gap areas’

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There are two key barriers to successful
institutional and employer relationships are
clash of cultures and student attitudes.
In terms of recruitment, employers used an array of well-tried formal and informal methods to
promote graduate positions. They were more likely to use of the methods of ‘advertising on
their own website’ and through ‘word of mouth’ than through educational institutions. There is
room for educational institutions to improve their relationship with employers leading to an
enhancement in the services they offer to employers. In his article on academic-industry
collaboration for games research and education, Swain (2009)90 argues there are two key
barriers to successful education collaborations
with industry, which are applicable to
education and training in other fields:
 Universities put student needs first and
typically take a long-term view towards curriculum. University culture sometimes clashes
with industry culture e.g. when a university program is unable to immediately insert a new
class or tool into the curriculum.
 Students who go to industry, either as interns or full-time hires, need to be humble and
enthusiastic about tasks assigned, given they are stereotyped as acting ‘entitled’ and this
can cause tension in the workplace.
To improve academic and industry collaboration, Swain (2009) recommended:
 student showcases, sponsored contents and salons (presentations delivered to industry)
that are structured as class assignments
 mentoring by industry representatives who are generous with their time when it comes to
helping students, have a natural calling for mentoring, and natural teaching personalities.
 guest speakers and speaker series, delivered in classes or via video-over-IP programs.
Students can read about the guest speaker online the week before and submit questions
to him or her.
 offering adjunct professorships for people from industry; and pairing adjuncts together or
pairing one with a full-time professor to jointly teach a class to deal with travel obligations
and unexpected deadlines.
 collaborative classes taught in partnership with a company from industry, with students
learning about industry problems and doing assignments that are similar to what industry
teams do. These classes should provide regular access to at least one person at the
company, and use online wikis for efficient communication between the students, faculty
and industry mentors.
 internships programs and other solutions like Faculty members learning about the
character and abilities of individual students, beyond resumes and portfolios, in order for
industry to recruit and screen students.
90 Swain, C 2009, ‘Improving academic-industry collaboration for game research and education’, 4th
International Conference on Foundations of Digital Games, April 26-30, 2009, Orlando, Florida, ACM, New
York. http://portal.acm.org/citation.cfm?id=1536550&CFID=5531807&CFTOKEN=73002037

155
Recognising prior learning promotes lifelong
learning by encouraging individuals to
continually improve their skills and
knowledge.
Recognising non-formal and informal learning has become an important issue across most
developed and developing countries. However, the UAE is still to establish mechanisms that
recognise the prior learning of individuals in the UAE (particularly UAE Nationals in the military
or police service with extensive levels of experience and few formal qualifications to show).
The National Qualifications Authority states that the recognition of prior learning:
... may be defined in a number of ways. However, all definitions emphasise that RPL
involves the assessment of previously unrecognised skills and knowledge an individual
has achieved outside the formal education and training system. RPL assesses this
unrecognised learning against the requirements of a qualification or award, in respect
of both entry requirements and outcomes to be achieved. By removing the need for
duplication of learning, RPL encourages an individual to continue upgrading their skills
and knowledge through structured education and training towards formal
qualifications and improved employment outcomes.91
Recognising prior learning is essential if the
UAE wants to engage individuals in lifelong
learning. The introduction of formal VET
infrastructure and regulatory systems with the
recognition of prior learning as one of its
priority objectives would go some way to
advancing and managing this matter. The National Qualifications Authority is responsible for
developing a national policy and procedures for the implementation of RPL across all sectors of
education and training in the UAE. The Authority will work with the relevant commissions in the
UAE to address the barriers associated with the implementation of recognition of prior learning.
According to Bowman et al. (2003)92, the main barriers to RPL are:
 low awareness and negative perceptions of providers and individuals
 complex processes, such as RPL takes too much time and information provided is too
complex
 inadequate support for individuals (to collect evidence), assessors (who need professional
development) and providers (who need improved funding models)
 confusing language, with the authors referring to feedback from one provider:
As one informant from an assessment-only registered training organisation noted, the
VET terminology and that attached to RPL is simply confusing and misleading. Terms
such as ‘advanced standing’, ‘skills recognition’, ‘units of competency’, ‘mandatory
evidence’ requirements may be influential in turning inexperienced applicants away
from accessing the process. (p. 20)
91 National Qualifications Authority (2013). Qualifications Framework for the Emirates Handbook. Retrieved January
8, 2013, from http://nqa.gov.ae/pdf/QF%20Handbook_v1b_28_Feb_2012.pdf, p. 101
92 Bowman, K., Clayton, B., Bateman, A., Knight, B., Thomson, P., Hargreaves, J., Blom, K. & Enders, M. (2003).
Recognition of prior learning in the vocational education and training sector. Retrieved February 7, 2013, from,
http://www.ncver.edu.au/google_search.html?cx=005466847542416725873%3Aerakacnadz0&cof=FORID%3A11
&ie=UTF-8&q=Recognition+of+prior+learning+in+the, p.16.

156
A collaborative stakeholder approach will
improve congruence between labour
market needs and graduate qualifications
and skills.
The majority of participants forecasted growth in their hiring intentions over the next two
years. This was consistent with the UAE Central Bank’s yearly projection of the UAE economy
and augured well for prospective graduates in the future. Participants identified engineering
and industrial occupations as occupations in highest demand followed by account
executives, business development, administration, analysts and accounting professions.
The currency and relevance of qualifications to
the labour market is a continuing issue of
interest. The real or perceived shortfall in
congruence between what the labour market
requirements (demand) in terms of graduate
qualifications and skills supplied by the education and training market (supply side -
institutions and schools) requires a collaborative formal stakeholder approach. That is, where
respective key stakeholders work together (through for example, industry-led advisory bodies)
to better understand the current and future labour market and develop approved publicly
information that articulates market requirements. This information can be in two forms:
 Future workforce development plans researched and endorsed by respective industry
based key stakeholders such as employers.
 Qualifications based on occupational skills standards that formally express what an
individual is required to do to meet a standard of performance in the workplace for a
given occupational outcome.
In summary, it is vital to the future employability of students that they have access to
authentic workplace learning experiences during their study period. Many employers who
participated in this project indicated work experience is a key factor influencing their
recruitment decisions. Participating students expressed a strong desire to interact directly with
industry. If designed, organised, resourced and delivered properly, all parties involved in a
work placement benefit: students by learning new skills, employers by having a chance to try
out potential employees, and providers by learning about latest developments in workplaces.
Many employers also rely on qualifications when recruiting graduates, confirming the
importance of strong relationships between educational institutions and employers. Existing
employees with extensive work experience but no formal qualifications will benefit from the
country’s decision to establish a national policy and procedures for the recognition of prior
learning. The National Qualifications Authority in collaboration with stakeholders will facilitate
this policy initiative and oversee the establishment of industry advisory committees. These
committees will gather industry intelligence on future workforce needs and manage the
development of national occupational standards. These efforts will contribute significantly to
building the skills of new and existing workers based on labour market needs.

157
The guide should help employers with their
recruitment, reskilling and retention
practices by improving their understanding
of the link between occupational
requirements and qualifications.
8.7 OCCUPATIONAL INFORMATION GUIDE FOR EMPLOYERS
The sixth and final purpose was identifying the appropriate content for the Occupational
Information Guide for Employers in the UAE: Mechanisms to aid reliability and consistency in
occupational descriptions in the UAE.
The guide represents a QFEmirates reference document that aims to help employers match
qualifications with occupational requirements when recruiting employees. For example:
 what supporting infrastructure is currently available and/or under development
 how to navigate and use the infrastructure core reference platform (base) developed to
improve consistency and build confidence in the use of qualifications and occupations
terminologies and descriptions in their recruitment, reskilling and retention activities.
The guide consists of the following sections:
 Introduction
 International context, including key
drivers of a national qualifications
framework
 A national qualifications framework for the UAE (known as the QFEmirates), including benefits,
architecture, qualifications titling, CoreLife Skills and Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL)
 ISCO system of occupations, including occupational profiles and occupational standards
 Linking qualifications and occupations, including employability indicators of QFEmirates
levels, functions hierarchy, and example approaches to developing occupational profiles
 Supporting appendices include the ISCO and ISCI classification systems, an expanded
notional function and taxonomy framework, and example approaches for developing
occupational profiles (Electrician and Sales and Marketing Manager).
According to the guide:
Employers may use the guide as a starting reference point for recruitment, reskilling and
retention practices as a means of communicating with the wider world for same
occupation or qualification requirements. Institutions too, use the same to demonstrate to
their prospective students the occupations that lead from the qualifications they achieve.93
It also states that it is important that users understand the:
… infrastructure that underpins and improves consistency and recognition in the use of
approved qualifications and occupational data, terminologies and descriptions.
Respective stakeholders such as employers, education and training providers,
practitioners, individuals, government bodies and the community can tap into this
infrastructure as a benchmark resource or reference tools to refer to, build,
contexualise, adapt, or modify as they see fit, to meet their needs.94
93 National Qualifications Authority (2013). An Occupational Information Guide for Employers in the UAE:
Mechanisms to aid reliability and consistency in occupational descriptions in the UAE, p. 10.
94 National Qualifications Authority (2013). An Occupational Information Guide for Employers in the UAE:
Mechanisms to aid reliability and consistency in occupational descriptions in the UAE, p. 10.

158
Therefore to assist users understand this infrastructure, the guide includes two conceptual
diagrams that illustrate the infrastructure at international, UAE and local level tools and
resources typically established in modern competitive economies:
The first diagram, Infrastructure – tools and resources (‎Figure 54), shows the relationships
between ISCO groups and titles, European Qualifications Framework (EQF) levels, QFEmirates
(QFE) levels, QFEmirates employment indicators (QFEI), functional taxonomy, occupational
profiles and occupational standards. For example:
 The ISCO group/title of ‘managers and professionals’ aligns to levels 7 and 8 of the EQF,
levels 8 to 10 of the QFEmirates, the employability indicators related to ‘professional/higher
professional’ and ‘leading specialist/expert’, and the functional taxonomy of both
‘manage’ and ‘policy and strategy’. The occupational profiles for managers and
professionals (as well as other occupations) represent a broad description of the outcome
of this occupation. The occupational standards for managers and professionals define the
knowledge and skills and their application to the standards and performance in the
workplace for these occupations.
Figure 54 Conceptual illustration of qualifications and occupational infrastructure at
international and UAE level

159
The second diagram, Operational – tools and resources (Figure 55), shows the relationship
between infrastructure, institutes, employers and quality assurance. For example:
 Regulators are responsible for quality assurance, employers manage employee relations
(e.g. recruitment, learning and development, careers paths), institutes design and deliver
education and training against occupational standards, and infrastructure is available in
the form of tools of resources to assist these bodies undertake these tasks.
Figure 55 Conceptual illustration of qualifications and occupational infrastructure at local level
In summary, the Occupational Information Guide for Employers in the UAE: Mechanisms to
aid reliability and consistency in occupational descriptions in the UAE should help employers
to match qualifications with their occupational requirements when recruiting employees.
They can also use the guide to inform their reskilling and retention practices and increase
their awareness of the importance of supporting infrastructure. Education and training
providers and students can use the guide to educate themselves about the link between
qualifications and occupations. The guide consists of five sections supported by a number of
appendices. This guide is presented as a separate document to this report.

160
A national careers strategy informed by the
economic visions of the country would
identify effective channels to enhance
students’ knowledge of critical, sustainable
and attractive jobs in the UAE.
8.8 FURTHER RESEARCH
This project identified several opportunities for further research that would explore in more
depth some of the findings generated from this project.
8.8.1 A national careers strategy for the UAE
There is a need to improve the matching of
employer demand with the supply of graduates
at an educational and training system level in
the UAE. There must be effective channels in
place that communicate employer demand
and needs to students in a way that enhances
their knowledge of the UAE labour market.
This project recommends further research in the form of a feasibility study for a UAE national
careers strategy that aligns to the economic visions of the country (e.g. UAE Vision 2021) for
consideration by policy makers. In order to identify the features of a national careers strategy,
the feasibility study would build on findings from this project to find out:
 community awareness of the UAE labour market, importance of careers advice and the
availability of careers services (note: community includes students, parents, educators,
industry, government)
 how to best deliver publicly available and up-to date information about sustainable
careers in the UAE labour market
 the ability of careers advisors in educational institutions to effectively communicate labour
market needs to students
 features of initiatives that would enable students to interact effectively with industry during
their study period e.g. work placements, mentoring programs, industry visits, etc.
 the currency of study programs in light of changing industry needs and trends
 the nature and effectiveness of current employer-to-institution relationships that aim to
enhance the employability outcomes of graduates
 the types of collaborative stakeholder mechanisms that bring together industry,
government, education and training providers, individuals and community stakeholders to
collectively develop and maintain the most current labour market and education and
training system information.
8.8.2 Pocket Guide of VET information and statistics
As already stated in this chapter, existing indicators that relate to the progress and
performance of UAE’s VET sector are out of date, do not focus sufficiently on vocational
enrolments and outcomes, and do not allow for rigorous international comparison and
rankings. The National Qualifications Authority will assist in addressing these issues by
collecting, analysing and providing qualifications-relevant data and making this data
available to the public.

161
NQA is responsible for gathering
qualifications-relevant data. This activity
requires data-sharing agreements that
could form part of a national VET Data
Management Strategy.
One approach to presenting this data is through a Pocket Guide of vocational information
and statistics95 consisting of:
 the nature of vocational qualifications and careers
 the number of vocational qualifications by type, location and industry sector
 the names of education and training providers of vocational qualifications, including
qualifications offered, number of students and location
 student participation as indicated by enrolments and completions by age, gender,
nationality, location and field of study.
Data collected on employers’ use of the VET system to meet their skills needs and views about
their engagement and satisfaction with the VET system96 could form part of the Pocket Guide
and/or be presented in a separate publication. Similar to the Australian approach, collecting
this data would involve surveying a sample of employers who are randomly selected and
stratified by location (Emirate), industry
sector (12 sectors in the UAE) and employer
size (small, medium and large).97
Collecting the above data would involve
data-sharing agreements with providers of
vocational programs, licensing and
program accreditation bodies, different ministries (such as the Ministry of Higher Education and
Scientific Research) and statistical bodies (such as UAE’s National Bureau of Statistics and
Statistics Centre - Abu Dhabi). Underpinning these data-sharing agreements could be a
national VET Data Management Strategy that covers the areas of:
 data collection, validation and reporting
 data quality, timeliness, transparency and warehousing
 a centralised data system for providers and government bodies, including training users of
the system and minimising the burden on these organisations
 linking reporting to payments/contracts with providers who receive government funding.
8.8.3 Exposure of students to the workplace
Almost 60% of the employers who participated in this study considered work experience an
important factor when recruiting graduates. This project did not investigate the extent to
which students gain exposure to the workplace during their studies, the range of programs
currently available to students in the UAE (e.g. internships, apprenticeships, cadetships) and
the effectiveness of these programs in providing students with authentic workplace learning
experiences that increase their employability. A project (linked to the feasibility study just
discussed) would explore these areas of inquiry and recommend fit-for-purpose work
placement models for the UAE that enhance learning, practice and exposure to the
workplace during the study period.
95 National Centre for Vocational Education and Training Resource (2011). Pocket guide: issued 2011. Retrieved
10 February, 2013, from http://www.ncver.edu.au/publications/2415.html
syste2011.. Retrieved 10 February, 2013, from http://www.ncver.edu.au/publications/2409.html
system: technical notes. Retrieved 10 February, 2013, from http://www.ncver.edu.au/publications/2409.html

162
Research on specific areas of work
placements would recommend fit-for-
purpose models for the UAE.
The study by Smith and Harris (2000)98 identified specific areas of future research about work
placements that this project could undertake:
 A mapping exercise of work placements
 Experiences of students and workplace mentors during placements – what is it like to be a
student on placement, and what is it like being a workplace mentor for placement students?
 Power relationships in the workplace and their effects on student learning during work
placements roles and identities in what is labelled in the literature as the ‘tripod’ arrangement
(Le-Clercq, 1992) – the student, the provider mentor and the workplace mentor
 A project (linked to the feasibility study just discussed) would explore these areas of inquiry and
recommend fit-for-purpose work placement models for the UAE that enhance learning,
practice and exposure to the workplace during the study period.
 In-depth analysis of the actual learning undertaken by students
 The skills employed by practitioners who arrange and monitor placements
 Relative strengths of alternative models and approaches, such that empirical research
can begin to inform the development of robust theoretical models that can be used cross-
sectorally
 Access and equity issues, such as the availability of placements in particular locations and
industries, and for particular types of students
 The processes involved in managing placements and maintaining host employers
 Assessment during placements, and the
issue of recognition of prior learning (RPL)
 A follow-up study of students who have
completed placements.
8.8.4 Study decisions of students
This project identified several factors that influence the study decisions of students and found
that these factors vary by gender and nationality. There were also differences between
factors important to secondary students and those important to higher education students.
Further research could explore:
 the actual factors that influence secondary school students at the time of making their
decision about further study (target group: students who have just applied to undertake
further study)
 changes to these factors over the further study period (target group: students in their final
year of study)
http://www.ncver.edu.au/publications/567.html p. 4

163
Many students who have completed a
foundation program were unsure if it had
prepared them well for further study and
some were dissatisfied.
 impact of these factors i.e. did students achieve the outcomes they expected such as a
good job after graduation, a job that met their salary expectations, they continued their
studies abroad (target group: graduates)
The research would identify those factors that are more or less likely to lead to an informed
study decision and recommend strategies to enhance students’ ability to make an informed
study decision. Before making a study decision, it is critical that students are aware of the
fields of study that are likely to lead to sustainable jobs in the UAE labour market.
8.8.5 Effectiveness of foundation programs
Nearly half (44%) of the secondary school students indicated they expect to undertake a
foundation program and two-thirds (66%) of higher education students indicated they have
undertaken a foundation program as part of their current studies. In the case of higher
education students, many students were ‘unsure’ if the programs had prepared them well for
tertiary study and some students were dissatisfied with the programs. Many secondary school
students who indicated they are confident
in undertaking and research still expect to
undertake a foundation program as part of
their further studies.
This project identified several sources that
discussed concerns related to foundation programs, such as the high number of students
entering programs because they are ill-prepared for tertiary study, the financial burden of
programs on institutions and students not getting a second chance if they faced difficult
circumstances during their final exams. This project did not locate any existing research on the
effectiveness of foundation programs from the student perspective. Further research at a
national level (rather than at an institutional level where outcomes of foundation programs
are probably measured) would identify the factors that influence student satisfaction with
foundation programs and develop success indicators for these programs.
8.8.6 Tanmia
This project found that 42% of employers, 57% of secondary school students and 69% of higher
education students who participated in this project were not aware or unsure of the existence
of UAE’s National Human Resource Development and Employment Authority (Tanmia). This is
concerning given that Tanmia commenced operations in November 2000. Tanmia has an
important role in providing:
 Emirati job seekers with access to training, career guidance and employment vacancies
 employers with a national website to advertise their vacancies and access CVs of UAE
Nationals. Employers that achieve the employment quota of UAE Nationals are upgraded
to class A status in the Ministry of Labour, which means they are excluded from the need
for a bank guarantee.

164
Tanmia offers important services to Emirati
job seekers and employers. However, low
awareness of its existence means those that
need its help are missing out.
One of the functions of Tanmia is “following up and evaluating employment of nationals in
the public and private sectors”.99 This project recommends further research, in partnership
with Tanmia, that supports this function by:
 assessing employment outcomes of Emiratis
 gauging satisfaction levels of employers and Emiratis who have used Tanmia’s services
 exploring brand awareness of Tanmia
 identifying success indicators for each
service
 recommending a strategy to raise
awareness of Tanmia and its services.
8.9 CHAPTER SUMMARY
The purpose of this chapter was to present the implications of this study based on six project
purposes:
 employers’ understanding of the link between qualifications and jobs
 the importance of vocational education and training
 careers aspirations of students
 CoreLife Skills
 employer recruitment practices and hiring intentions
 the contents of an occupational information guide for employers.
This discussion led to the recommendation for six new research activities that build on findings
from this project – a national careers strategy for the UAE, a Pocket Guide of VET statistics,
exposure of students to the workplace, study decisions of students, effectiveness of foundation
programs from the student perspective, and raising awareness of Tanmia.

165
Appendices
9. Appendices
Appendix 1: QFEmirates employability indicators 166
Appendix 2: Employer survey 168
Appendix 3: Secondary school survey 175
Appendix 4: Higher education survey 184
Appendix 5: Industry validation survey 193
Appendix 6: Survey returns 197
requirements
199
Appendix 8: Employer responses to function verbs related to specific occupations 204
Appendix 9: VET providers and relevant Government bodies 211
Appendix 10: CAA-licensed higher education institutions in the UAE 216
Appendix 11: Selected colleges, institutes, training centres and academies in the UAE 218
Appendix 12: Critical, sustainable and attractive jobs for UAE Nationals 220
Appendix 13: Extracts from article, Emiratisation: The way forward? 224
Appendix 14: References 226

166
Appendices
Appendix 1: QFEmirates employability indicators
QF
level
Indicative
employability range
Employment relevance indicated in QFEmirates level descriptors
10 Leading specialist/expert
Employability in the leadership
of research and critical
change activity
A leading expert in their field of work, profession or discipline, with
expertise in the critique and development of social and organisational
structures and in the initiation of change, that includes mastery in
producing new and original knowledge or extending and redefining
existing knowledge or professional practice and can deploy
substantial authority, creativity, autonomy, independence, fair and
valid ethical judgements, scholarly and professional integrity, and
account for overall governance of processes and systems in
identifying unique solutions or conclusions. Can apply innovative and
advanced approaches to managing, leading and developing
technical or professional teams. Typically, they display highly
developed expert communication and information technology skills.
9 Higher professional
Employability as senior
professionals or leaders in
specialised fields
Highly specialised professionals with requisite knowledge and expertise
allied to competence in management and strategic leadership and
who can lead and function autonomously and ethically, and deploy
a range of advanced skills in planning, evaluating, producing and
executing creative solutions to highly complex, unpredictable and
unfamiliar issues in a range of contexts. Typically, they display highly
developed specialist communication and information technology
skills.
8 Professional
Employability as autonomous
professionals and as managers
In some fields, advanced and specialised knowledge-based
professionals and, in others, generalists with high level research,
analysis and problem-solving skills who are able to work independently
and ethically and/or apply management expertise in the supervision
and/or mentoring of others or in a combination of both. Typically, they
have highly developed advanced communication and information
technology skills.
7 Para-professional and higher
technical
Employability at the upper end
of many technical
occupations, or in para-
professional and management
roles
Specialist command of the theoretical knowledge and analytical skills
of an occupational field and the ability to design, evaluate and/or
plan solutions and apply ethical values to complex and unpredictable
problems, and/or apply high level specialist
administrative/management responsibilities including leading multiple,
complex groups. Typically, they display highly developed advanced
communication and information technology skills.
6 Supervisory and technical
Employability as a highly
developed and specialist craft-
worker, technician or
administrative operative
and/or supervisor roles
Specialist command of the knowledge and skills of an occupational
field and the ability to develop, specify and/or implement solutions to
complex problems, and/or apply specialist administrative/supervisory
responsibilities including leading multiple groups. Typically, they display
advanced communication and information technology skills.

167
Appendices
QF
level
Indicative
employability range
Employment relevance indicated in QFEmirates level descriptors
5 Highly skilled
Employability as an advanced
craft-worker, technician or
administrative operative,
and/or in limited supervisory
roles
Entry to many higher level
supervisory and para-
professional careers with strong
general employability
Comprehensive command of the knowledge and skills of an
occupational field and the ability to identify, diagnose and implement
solutions to abstract, familiar and non-routine problems covering
complex type work, and assume control, coordination or
administrative implementation responsibilities that include leading
teams and multiple groups. Typically, they display comprehensive
communication and information technology skills.
4 Skilled
Employability as a generalist
and/or lead teams
Entry to many careers with
strong general employability
Command of a broad range of specialised knowledge and skills of an
occupational field and the ability to work independently, identify and
deploy known solutions to defined problems, assume control or
administrative responsibilities for specified outcomes covering skilled
type work, and lead technical/peer teams and/or others in a specific
work activity. Typically, they display effective communication and
information technology skills.
3 Semi-skilled
Entry to many occupational
sectors and employment in
semi-skilled vocational
occupations
The capacity to draw on a broad range of mainly factual and
procedural knowledge and apply a limited range of skills to carry out
tasks and deploy routine solutions to predictable and occasional
unpredictable problems using simple rules, instruments, tools and
techniques relating to a whole job, whilst working under indirect
supervision with some autonomy and which may include leading small
teams within a technical or group activity.
2 General
roles requiring routine general
skills
The capacity to draw on general, factual knowledge of a defined
field of work or discipline and carry out simple, routine tasks under
guidance and in accordance with procedures within a defined
context to respond to, and/or solve, defined problems whilst working
independently and/or in small structured teams under direct
supervision and in a managed and/or routine environment.
1 Basic
Employability in occupations
requiring limited well-defined
and procedural skills or
programs to enable
occupational entry
The capacity to carry out work in well-defined, familiar and
predictable contexts under direct supervision or to perform simple
repetitive and predictable tasks to solve well-defined problems in a
controlled environment.

168
Appendices
Appendix 2: Employer survey
Survey results will provide the National Qualifications Authority (NQA), Federal Demographic
Council and other interested bodies with information about a) employer views of the relationship
between jobs and qualifications; b) general skills (or CoreLife Skills) employers expect their
employees (particularly recent graduates) to have; and c) employer recruitment preferences and
methods when employing recent graduates. NQA will then suggest ways to improve the
matching of knowledge, skills and qualifications of current and prospective employees to
employer needs. If you have any questions about the survey, contact Malik Althuwaini
(fdc.project@nqa.gov.ae or 971 (0)2 815 6633) or send a letter to the Research and Development
Unit, National Qualifications Authority, P.O. Box 63003, Abu Dhabi.
SECTION 1: ABOUT YOUR BUSINESS/ORGANISATION
1. City
2. Emirate
Abu Dhabi
Ajman
Dubai
Fujairah
Ras Al Khaimah
Sharjah
Umm Al Quwain
3. Type of organisation
Multi-national
National (across UAE)
Local (Emirate only)
Other
4. Sector
Public (government) sector
Private sector
Semi-public
Not-for-profit/community
Other

169
Appendices
5. Number of employees
1-10 employees
11-20
21-50
51-100
101-200
201-500
501-1000
Over 1000 employees
Currently no employees
Unsure
6. What percentage of your workers are Emirati?
0% (employ no Emiratis)
1-10%
11-20%
21-40%
41-60%
61-80%
81-99%
100% (all workers are Emirati)
Unsure
7. What main industry does your business/organisation operate in?
Government services and public administration (includes Defence and Policing)
Community, health and social services
Business, administration and financial services
Tourism, hospitality, retail and leisure services, including personal care services
Arts, culture and entertainment
Education, learning and social development
Building and construction, estates and assets development and management
Utilities and infrastructure
Energy resources – oil, natural gas, petrochemical, chemical, and mining/quarrying
Manufacturing
Logistics and transport
Agriculture, livestock and fishery
Unsure
Other

170
Appendices
8. What is the core activity of your business/organisation e.g. catering, banking, higher education, etc.
9. In two years time, do you expect to have more or less employees than you do now?
More employees
Less employees
Same number of employees as now (no change)
Unsure
10. If you intend to employ MORE people in the next two years, which occupations will you require? e.g.
administrator, engineer, bank officer
11. If you intend to employ LESS people in the next two years, which occupations are likely to be
affected? e.g. architects, public servants, pilots.
SECTION 2: GENERIC SKILLS
Generic skills are essential skills that underpin and support the performance and functionality in every
day work and learning. They are generic in that they apply to work generally rather than being specific
to work in a particular occupation or industry. These skills are known as CoreLife Skills in the UAE.
12. How important are the following generic (CoreLife) skills to your business/organisation? Please tick for
each generic skill.
Not
important
Somewhat
important
Important
Very
important
Unsure
Collecting, analysing and applying
concepts and ideas
Initiating and organising self and
activities, including motivation,
exploration and creativity
Working with others in teams including
leadership
Solving problems including using
mathematical ideas and techniques
communication technology (ICT)
Participating in social and civic life
including ethical practice

171
Appendices
13. If you employ graduates (i.e. who have less than 2 years work experience after finishing university, college
and/or school), how satisfied are you with their generic (CoreLife) skills? Please tick for each generic skill.
Highly
dissatisfied
Dissatisfied
Neither
satisfied or
dissatisfied
Satisfied
Very
satisfied
Communicating information, concepts
and ideas
leadership
SECTION 3: RECRUITMENT OF GRADUATES
(only complete this section if you employ or intend to employ graduates)
14. How does your business/organisation normally recruit graduates (i.e. who have less than 2 years work
experience after finishing university, college and/or school)?
Advertising on own website
Advertising in newspapers
Recruitment agencies
Graduates approach your business/organisation directly
Word of mouth (colleagues, friends, family, networks)
Through educational institutions
Other

172
Appendices
15. What factors influence your business/organisation most when employing graduates?
Academic record
Generic skills (NQA refers to these as CoreLife Skills)
Personal attributes (e.g. nationality, attitude, where a graduate lives)
Qualifications
Recommendations by others (colleagues, family, friends, networks)
Relevant work experience
Specialist subject knowledge
Other
16. If you selected 'qualifications' as one of the main factors when employing graduates, what type of
qualifications are most relevant to the needs of your business/organisation?
Doctoral degree (leading specialist/expert)
Masters degree (higher professional)
Graduate Diploma (professional)
Bachelor degree (para-professional/higher technical)
Diploma (supervisory/technical)
Associate degree/Diploma (highly skilled)
Certificate 4 (skilled)
Certificate 3 (semi-skilled)
Certificate 2 (general)
Certificate 1 (basic)
Other
17. Are you aware of Tanmia, the government body that helps employers to recruit Emirati job seekers?
Yes
No
Unsure

173
Appendices
SECTION 4: YOUR VIEWS ABOUT JOB TITLES, OCCUPATIONS AND RELATED QUALIFICATIONS
18. Pick three (3) jobs in your business/organisation and indicate the qualification (if any) your
business/organisation requires employees to have to perform these jobs effectively. For example, if your
business/organisation employs a nurse, this person is likely to hold a 'Bachelor degree'.
Job titles
DOCTORAL DEGREE (mastery of a highly specialised field of
knowledge)
MASTERS DEGREE (comprehensive, highly specialised
knowledge in a field of work, discipline or professional practice)
GRADUATE DIPLOMA (advanced specialist knowledge in a field
of work or discipline and/or high level research, analysis and
problem-solving skills)
BACHELOR DEGREE (specialised factual and theoretical
knowledge in a field of work or study) (e.g. NURSE)
DIPLOMA (specialist body of knowledge of an occupational
field)
ASSOCIATE DEGREE/DIPLOMA (comprehensive body of
knowledge of an occupational field)
CERTIFICATE 4 (broad specialised knowledge and skills of an
occupational field)
CERTIFICATE 3 (broad range of factual and procedural
knowledge of a field of work or discipline)
CERTIFICATE 2 (general, factual knowledge of a defined field of
work or discipline)
CERTIFICATE 1 (elementary knowledge and skills in limited
contexts and under direct supervision)
19. Pick three (3) jobs in your business/organisation and indicate the level of knowledge, skills and
experience your business/organisation requires employees to have to perform these jobs effectively. For
example, if your business/organisation employs a teacher, this person is likely to have knowledge, skills
and experience at the 'professional' level.
Job titles
Higher professional
Professional (e.g. TEACHER)
Para-professional/higher technical
Supervisory/technical
Highly skilled
Skilled
Semi-skilled
General
Basic

174
Appendices
20. Below is a list of verbs that relate to specific occupations. For example, if your business/organisation
employs an electrician you might select the verbs 'Diagnose', 'Repair' and 'Install’. Pick three (3) jobs
in your business/organisation and select key verbs for these jobs.
VERBS: Administer, Align, Analyse, Apply, Assemble, Assess, Attend, Audit, Build, Calibrate, Carry out, Check,
Commission, Compile, Comply, Conduct, Configure, Construct, Contribute, Control, Coordinate, Deliver,
Design, Develop, Diagnose, Direct, Document, Erect, Estimate, Evaluate, Fabricate, Facilitate, Fault-find,
Forecast, Identify, Implement, Inspect, Install, Institute, Investigate, Lead, Maintain, Make, Manage, Modify,
Mobilise, Monitor, Plan, Perform, Position, Prepare, Procure, Produce, Provide, Operate, Organise, Overhaul,
Rectify, Regulate, Repair, Report, Research, Respond, Schedule, Select, Sell, Service, Specify, Store, Supervise,
Test, Troubleshoot, Undertake, Use, Utilise, and Verify.
Pick 3 jobs in your
business/organisation
Select key verbs that describe what
employees in these jobs would do
Higher professional
Professional
technical
Supervisory/technical
Highly skilled
Skilled (e.g. ELECTRICIAN)
Semi-skilled
General
Basic
SECTION 5: FINAL COMMENTS
21. Do you have any final comments?
SECTION 6: FURTHER PARTICIPATION IN THIS PROJECT
22. Would you like to participate in a focus group and/or find out about survey results?
YES NO
I would like to participate in a focus group
I would like to find out about survey results
23. If yes to one of the above, please provide your contact details.
Your contact details
Name
Address (PO Box)
Email address

175
Appendices
Appendix 3: Secondary school survey
Data collected from this survey will provide the National Qualifications Authority (NQA), Federal
Demographic Council and other interested bodies with information about the careers aspirations
of secondary school students in the UAE as well as the support they need to help them achieve their
aspirations. The NQA will then suggest ways to help students learn more about the range of real-world
occupations with excellent employment prospects. As the survey does not ask for your name, your
identity is anonymous. If you have any questions about the survey, contact NQA's Research and
Development Unit (sandra.haukka@nqa.gov.ae or 9712 815 6622) or send a letter to the Research and
Development Unit, National Qualifications Authority, P.O. Box 63003, Abu Dhabi.
‫م‬ ‫وغيرها‬ ‫السكانية‬ ‫للتركيبة‬ ‫االتحادي‬ ‫والمجلس‬ ‫للمؤهالت‬ ‫الوطنية‬ ‫الهيئة‬ ‫مساعدة‬ ‫الى‬ ‫االستبيان‬ ‫هذا‬ ‫من‬ ‫جمعها‬ ‫سيتم‬ ‫التي‬ ‫البيانات‬ ‫تهدف‬‫ا‬ ‫ن‬‫على‬ ‫المعنية‬ ‫لجهات‬
‫تلك‬ ‫لتحقيق‬ ‫الطلبة‬ ‫لهؤالء‬ ‫الدعم‬ ‫توفير‬ ‫وبالتالي‬ ‫الدولة‬ ‫في‬ ‫العامة‬ ‫الثانوية‬ ‫لطلبة‬ ‫الوظيفية‬ ‫الطموحات‬ ‫وحجم‬ ‫طبيعة‬ ‫على‬ ‫كثب‬ ‫من‬ ‫اإلطالع‬‫ستقوم‬ ‫اذ‬ .‫الطموحات‬
‫لهؤال‬ ‫رائعة‬ ‫وظيفية‬ ً‫ا‬‫فرص‬ ‫تشكل‬ ‫التي‬ ‫المهن‬ ‫من‬ ‫واسع‬ ‫طيف‬ ‫اقتراح‬ ‫ثم‬ ‫ومن‬ ‫البيانات‬ ‫تلك‬ ‫بتحليل‬ ‫الهيئة‬ً‫ال‬‫مستقب‬ ‫الطلبة‬ ‫ء‬
.‫أخرى‬ ‫بيانات‬ ‫أي‬ ‫أو‬ ‫أسمائهم‬ ‫عن‬ ‫اإلفصاح‬ ‫الطلبة‬ ‫من‬ ‫يطلب‬ ‫لن‬ ‫اإلستبيان‬ ‫هذا‬ ‫أن‬ ‫هنا‬ ‫التنويه‬ ‫نود‬ ‫كما‬
: ‫على‬ ‫للمؤهالت‬ ‫الوطنية‬ ‫الهيئة‬ ‫في‬ ‫هوكا‬ ‫ساندرا‬ ‫الدكتورة‬ ‫مع‬ ‫التواصل‬ ‫،يرجى‬ ‫باالستبيان‬ ‫خاص‬ ‫استفسار‬ ‫أي‬ ‫وجود‬ ‫حال‬ ‫في‬
Sandra.Haukka@nqa.gov.ae: ‫االلكتروني‬ ‫البريد‬
97128156622: ‫الهاتف‬ ‫رقم‬
‫االستطالع‬ ‫هذا‬ ‫الستكمال‬ ‫الثمين‬ ‫وقتكم‬ ‫على‬ ‫للمؤهالت‬ ‫الوطنية‬ ‫الهيئة‬ ‫عن‬ ‫بالنيابة‬ ‫لكم‬ ‫الجزيل‬ ‫الشكر‬ ‫تقديم‬ ‫سوى‬ ، ‫النهاية‬ ‫في‬ ‫يسعنا‬ ‫وال‬‫المعنيين‬ ‫لجميع‬ ‫سيقدم‬ ‫والذي‬
‫التي‬ ‫الكبيرة‬ ‫الفائدة‬‫المتحدة‬ ‫العربية‬ ‫اإلمارات‬ ‫دولة‬ ‫في‬ ‫التعليم‬ ‫صالح‬ ‫في‬ ‫تصب‬
SECTION 1: ABOUT YOU/ ‫عنك‬ ‫عامة‬ ‫معلومات‬
1. School name / ‫المدرسة‬ ‫اسم‬
2. Emirate
Abu Dhabi
Ajman
Dubai
Fujairah
Ras Al Khaimah
Sharjah
Umm Al Quwain
3. City / ‫املدينة‬

176
Appendices
4. Gender / ‫الجنس‬
Male / ‫ذكر‬
Female / ‫أنثى‬
5. Age (years) / ‫العمر‬
14 years / 14 ‫سنة‬
17 years / 17 ‫عاما‬
Other / ‫أخرى‬
6. Grade / ‫الصف‬
Grade 10 / ‫العاشر‬
Grade 11 / ‫عشر‬ ‫الحادي‬
Grade 12 / ‫عشر‬ ‫الثاني‬
7. Nationality / ‫الجنسية‬
Emirati / ‫إماراتي‬
Non-Emirati / ‫أخرى‬ ‫جنسية‬
SECTION 2: YOUR STUDY AND CAREER INTENTIONS / ‫الوظيفية‬ ‫الطموحات‬‫و‬ ‫ايس‬‫ر‬‫ادل‬ ‫الوضع‬
8. Straight after finishing school do you intend to / ‫مباشرة‬ ‫المدرسة‬ ‫من‬ ‫اإلنتهاء‬ ‫وبعد‬ ‫أرغب‬ ‫إنني‬ ‫:أن‬
Study at a university or college / ‫الكلية‬ ‫أو‬ ‫بالجامعة‬ ‫ألتحق‬
Study at a vocational institute / ‫مهني‬ ‫بمعهد‬ ‫ألتحق‬
Get a job / ‫وظيفة‬ ‫على‬ ‫الحصول‬
Get a job and be trained while working / ‫العمل‬ ‫أثناء‬ ‫التدريب‬ ‫مع‬ ‫وظيفة‬ ‫على‬ ‫الحصول‬
Have a break for a year or more (e.g. travel, family reasons) / ‫ألسباب‬ ‫أوأكثر‬ ‫عام‬ ‫لمدة‬ ‫راحة‬ ‫فترة‬ ‫على‬ ‫الحصول‬
‫غيرها‬ ‫أو‬ ، ‫عائلية‬ ‫لظروف‬ ‫أو‬ ‫(السفر‬ ‫)مثل‬
Unsure / ‫متأكد‬ ‫غير‬

177
Appendices
IF YOU INTEND ON UNDERTAKING FURTHER STUDIES after completing school or in the near future (next
one to two years), answer Questions 9, 10, 11 and 12. If you do NOT intend to undertake further studies,
go to Question 13.
‫األسئل‬ ‫على‬ ‫اإلجابة‬ ‫يرجى‬ ،)‫سنتين‬ ‫إلى‬ ‫سنة‬ ‫(بعد‬ ‫القريب‬ ‫المستقبل‬ ‫في‬ ‫أو‬ ‫مباشرة‬ ‫المدرسة‬ ‫من‬ ‫االنتهاء‬ ‫بعد‬ ‫دراستك‬ ‫استكمال‬ ‫تنوي‬ ‫كنت‬ ‫اذا‬‫ة‬9‫و‬10‫و‬11‫و‬12.
‫السؤال‬ ‫إلى‬ ‫مباشرة‬ ‫انتقل‬ ،‫دراستك‬ ‫استكمال‬ ‫تنوي‬ ‫ال‬ ‫كنت‬ ‫إذا‬ ‫31أما‬
9. What is your preferred subject area/field of study? / ‫لديك؟‬ ‫المفضل‬ ‫الدراسي‬ ‫التخصص‬ ‫هو‬ ‫ما‬
Education / ‫التعليم‬
Humanities / ‫اإلنسانية‬ ‫العلوم‬
Arts (e.g. fine arts, performing arts, visual arts) / Arts e.g. fine arts, performing arts, visual arts / ‫الفنون‬ ‫الفنون‬
،‫المسرحية‬ ‫الفنون‬ :‫مثل‬ ‫الجميلة‬‫البصرية‬ ‫الفنون‬
Social and behavioural science e.g. psychology / ‫النفس‬ ‫علم‬ ‫مثل‬ ‫والسلوكية‬ ‫االجتماعية‬ ‫العلوم‬
Journalism and information e.g. library studies / ‫المكتبات‬ ‫علم‬ ‫مثل‬ ‫واإلعالم‬ ‫الصحافة‬
Business and administration e.g. banking, HR, marketing / ‫والتسويق‬ ‫البشرية‬ ‫والموارد‬ ،‫المصرفية‬ ‫األعمال‬ ‫مثل‬ ‫األعمال‬ ‫إدارة‬
Law / ‫القانون‬
Life/physical sciences / ‫والحياتية‬ ‫الفيزيائية‬ ‫العلوم‬
Mathematics and statistics / ‫واإلحصاء‬ ‫الرياضيات‬
Computing and IT / ‫المعلومات‬ ‫ونظم‬ ‫الحاسوب‬ ‫علوم‬
Engineering and engineering trades / ‫الهندسية‬ ‫والمهن‬ ‫الهندسة‬
Manufacturing and processing / ‫التصنيع‬
Architecture /‫المعمارية‬ ‫الهندسة‬
Agriculture, forestry and fishery / ‫األسماك‬ ‫وصيد‬ ‫الزراعة‬
Health e.g. medicine, dentistry and nursing / ‫بما‬ ‫الصحة‬‫والتمريض‬ ‫األسنان‬ ‫الطب،طب‬ ‫ذلك‬ ‫في‬
Social work and social care e.g. disabled, youth / ‫اإلحتياجات‬ ‫وذوي‬ ‫الشباب‬ ‫رعاية‬ ‫مثل‬ ‫االجتماعية‬ ‫والرعاية‬ ‫االجتماعي‬ ‫العمل‬
‫الخاصة‬
Personal services e.g. hospitality, tourism, beauty / ‫السياحة‬ ،‫الضيافة‬ ‫مثل‬ ‫الشخصية‬ ‫الخدمات‬‫والتجميل‬
Transport e.g. shipping, airlines, roads / ‫الطرق‬ ، ‫الطيران‬ ، ‫الشحن‬ ‫مثل‬ ‫والمواصالت‬ ‫النقل‬
Environmental protection / ‫البيئة‬ ‫حماية‬
Security services e.g. armed forces, fire fighting, police / ‫الحرائ‬ ‫مكافحة‬ ،‫المسلحة‬ ‫القوات‬ ‫مثل‬ ‫األمنية‬ ‫الخدمات‬‫الشرطة‬ ،‫ق‬
10. How confident do you feel about undertaking independent study and research?
‫مستقل؟‬ ‫بشكل‬ ‫والدرسات‬ ‫البحوث‬ ‫إجراء‬ ‫على‬ ‫الذاتية‬ ‫بقدرتك‬ ‫ثقتك‬ ‫مدى‬ ‫هو‬ ‫ما‬
Not confident at all / ،‫االطالق‬ ‫على‬ ً‫ا‬‫واثق‬ ‫لست‬ ‫لم‬‫بمفردي‬ ‫الدراسي‬ ‫برنامجي‬ ‫اختيار‬ ‫عن‬ ً‫ال‬‫مسؤو‬ ‫أكون‬ ‫أن‬ ‫أعتد‬
Somewhat confident / ً‫ا‬‫أحيان‬ ‫اإلرشاد‬ ‫إلى‬ ‫أحتاج‬ ‫لكني‬ ‫دعم‬ ‫دون‬ ‫الدراسة‬ ‫على‬ ً‫ا‬‫قادر‬ ‫أكون‬ ‫ما‬ ً‫ة‬‫عاد‬ ،‫ما‬ ‫حد‬ ‫إلى‬ ‫واثق‬
Confident / ‫واثق‬
Very confident / ‫المستقلة‬ ‫الدراسة‬ ‫على‬ ‫اعتدت‬ :ً ‫تماما‬ ‫واثق‬

178
Appendices
11. What is important to you when selecting a course? You may select more than one (1).
‫واحد‬ ‫خيار‬ ‫من‬ ‫أكثر‬ ‫تحديد‬ ‫الممكن‬ ‫من‬ ‫بك؟‬ ‫الخاصة‬ ‫الدراسة‬ ‫لبرنامج‬ ‫اختيارك‬ ‫تحدد‬ ‫التي‬ ‫الرئيسة‬ ‫األبعاد‬ ‫ماهي‬
Close to home / ‫المنزل‬ ‫من‬ ‫القرب‬
Family wishes / ‫العائلة‬ ‫لرغبات‬ ً‫ا‬‫مطابق‬ ‫يكون‬ ‫أن‬
A course offered at a particular institution / ‫خاصة‬ ‫مؤسسة‬ ‫في‬ ‫الدراسي‬ ‫البرنامج‬ ‫طرح‬ ‫يتم‬ ‫أن‬
Reputation of a particular institution / ‫التعليمية‬ ‫للمؤسسة‬ ‫الجيدة‬ ‫السمعة‬
Entry requirements or standards / ‫القبول‬ ‫ومعايير‬ ‫متطلبات‬
Opportunity to study overseas later / ً‫ا‬‫الحق‬ ‫بالخارج‬ ‫الدراسة‬ ‫فرصة‬ ‫توفر‬
Availability of a good job when you graduate / ‫التخرج‬ ‫بعد‬ ‫المناسبة‬ ‫الوظيفة‬ ‫توفر‬
Graduate salary and conditions / ‫التخرج‬ ‫بعد‬ ‫المقترح‬ ‫الراتب‬
Status / ‫التخصص‬ ‫هذا‬ ‫على‬ ‫المترتبة‬ ‫اإلجتماعية‬ ‫المكانة‬
12. Will you undertake a foundation course as part of your further studies?
‫المستقبلية؟‬ ‫دراستك‬ ‫من‬ ‫كجزء‬ ‫التأسيسية‬ ‫البرامج‬ ‫من‬ ‫أي‬ ‫في‬ ‫بااللتحاق‬ ‫ستقوم‬ ‫هل‬
Yes / ‫نعم‬
No / ‫ال‬
SECTION 3: PREFERRED FUTURE INDUSTRY OF EMPLOYMENT AND JOB / ‫للتوظيف‬ ً‫ال‬‫تقب‬‫مس‬ ‫املفضةل‬ ‫الصناعية‬ ‫القطاعات‬
13. In the future, what industry would you most like to work in? / ‫؟‬ً‫ال‬‫مستقب‬ ‫به‬ ‫العمل‬ ‫ترغب‬ ‫الذي‬ ‫الصناعي‬ ‫القطاع‬ ‫ماهو‬
Government services and public administration (includes Defence & Policing) / ‫العامة‬ ‫واالدرة‬ ‫الحكومية‬ ‫الخدمات‬
Community, health and social services / ‫االجتماعية‬ ‫والخدمات‬ ‫والصحة‬ ‫المجتمع‬
Business, administration and financial services / ‫المالية‬ ‫والخدمات‬ ‫األعمال‬ ‫إدارة‬
Tourism, hospitality, retail and leisure services / ‫المنزلية‬ ‫والخدمات‬ ‫والترفيه‬ ‫التجزئة‬ ‫وبيع‬ ‫والضيافة‬ ‫السياحة‬
Arts, culture and entertainment / ‫والترفيه‬ ‫والفنون‬ ‫الثقافة‬
Education, learning, and social development / ‫االجتماعية‬ ‫والتنمية‬ ‫والتعليم‬ ‫التربية‬
Building/construction, estates & assets development/management / ‫المرافق‬ ‫وإدارة‬ ‫التحتية‬ ‫ابنية‬ ‫وتطوير‬ ‫والتعمير‬ ‫البناء‬
‫والممتلكات‬
Utilities and infrastructure / ‫مرافق‬‫التحتية‬ ‫البنية‬
Energy resources – oil, natural gas, petrochemical, chemical, and mining/quarrying / ‫الطاقة‬ ‫–مصادر‬ ‫النفط‬
‫والمعادن‬ ‫والبتروكيماويات‬ ‫الطبيعي‬ ‫والغاز‬
Manufacturing / ‫التصنيع‬
Logistics and transport / ‫والنقل‬ ‫اإلمداد‬
Agriculture, livestock and fishery / ‫والسمكية‬ ‫الحيوانية‬ ‫والثروة‬ ‫الزراعة‬

179
Appendices
14. In the future, what job would you most like to do? / ‫؟‬ً‫ال‬‫مستقب‬ ‫به‬ ‫القيام‬ ‫تحب‬ ‫الذي‬ ‫العمل‬ ‫نوع‬ ‫هو‬ ‫ما‬
15. How difficult/easy will it be to find employment in your preferred job and industry?
‫؟‬ ‫لديك‬ ‫المفضل‬ ‫العمل‬ ‫قطاع‬ ‫ضمن‬ ‫وظيفة‬ ‫على‬ ‫الحصول‬ ‫سهولة‬ ‫أو‬ ‫صعوبة‬ ‫مدى‬ ‫هو‬ ‫ما‬
Very difficult / ً‫ا‬‫جد‬ ‫صعب‬
Difficult / ‫صعب‬
Not easy or difficult / ‫الصعب‬ ‫أو‬ ‫السهل‬ ‫من‬ ‫ليس‬
Easy / ‫سهل‬
Very easy / ‫سهل‬ً‫ا‬‫جد‬
16. Would you prefer to work in the public or private sector? / ‫الخاص؟‬ ‫القطاع‬ ‫أم‬ ‫العام‬ ‫القطاع‬ ‫في‬ ‫العمل‬ ‫تفضل‬ ‫هل‬
Public sector / ‫العام‬ ‫القطاع‬
Private sector / ‫الخاص‬ ‫القطاع‬
17. Please explain your answer to the above question / ‫السابق‬ ‫السؤال‬ ‫على‬ ‫إجابتك‬ ‫توضيح‬ ‫يرجى‬
18. What is the minimum starting (monthly) salary you would accept before taking a job? /
‫للوظيفة؟‬ ‫قبولك‬ ‫قبل‬ ‫به‬ ‫تقبل‬ ‫أن‬ ‫يمكن‬ ‫الذي‬ ‫للراتب‬ ‫األدنى‬ ‫الحد‬ ‫هو‬ ‫ما‬
Less than 5,000 AED per month / ‫من‬ ‫أقل‬5000ً‫ا‬‫شهري‬ ‫درهم‬
5,000-9,999 AED per month / ‫من‬5000‫إلى‬9,999ً‫ا‬‫شهري‬ ‫درهم‬
10,000-19,999 AED per month / ‫من‬10,000‫إلى‬19,000ً‫ا‬‫شهري‬ ‫درهم‬
40,000 AED and over per month / 40,000 ً‫ا‬‫شهري‬ ‫وأكثر‬ ‫درهم‬
Starting salary is not important to me / ‫لي‬ ‫المبدئي‬ ‫بالراتب‬ ُ‫ا‬‫كثير‬ ً‫ا‬‫مهتم‬ ‫لست‬
19. How important are the following subjects to your future career? / ‫المواد‬ ‫أهمية‬ ‫مدى‬ ‫ما‬‫المهني؟‬ ‫مستقبلك‬ ‫على‬ ‫التالية‬ ‫الدراسية‬
Not
important /
‫مهم‬ ‫غير‬
Somewhat
important /‫مهم‬
‫ما‬ ‫حد‬ ‫إلى‬
Important /
‫مهم‬
Very
important /
ً‫ا‬‫جد‬ ‫مهم‬
Unsure /
‫متأكد‬ ‫غير‬
Arabic / ‫العربية‬ ‫اللغة‬
English / ‫اإلنجليزية‬ ‫اللغة‬
Maths / ‫الرياضيات‬
Science / ‫العلوم‬
20. Are there other subjects that are important to your future career?
‫أنها‬ ‫تعتقد‬ ‫أخرى‬ ‫دراسية‬ ‫مواد‬ ‫اي‬ ‫هناك‬ ‫هل‬ ‫الوظيفي؟‬ ‫مستقبلك‬ ‫على‬ ‫تؤثر‬

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SECTION 4: CAREERS ADVICE / ‫الوظيفي‬ ‫إرشاد‬‫ل‬‫ا‬
21. Have you received careers advice at your school? / ‫دراستك؟‬ ‫فترة‬ ‫خالل‬ ‫وظيفي‬ ‫إرشاد‬ ‫أي‬ ‫على‬ ‫حصلت‬ ‫هل‬
Yes / ‫نعم‬
No / ‫ال‬
My school doesn’t offer careers advice / ‫مدرستي‬ ‫في‬ ‫الوظيفي‬ ‫اإلرشاد‬ ‫من‬ ‫نوع‬ ‫أي‬ ‫اليوجد‬
IF YOU HAVE RECEIVED CAREERS ADVICE AT SCHOOL, answer Questions 22, 23 and 24. If you have NOT
received careers advice at school, go to Question 25.
‫األسئلة‬ ‫على‬ ‫اإلجابة‬ ‫يرجى‬ ،‫المدرسة‬ ‫في‬ ً‫ا‬‫وظيفي‬ ً‫ا‬‫إرشاد‬ ‫تلقيت‬ ‫قد‬ ‫كنت‬ ‫إذا‬22‫و‬22‫و‬22‫السؤال‬ ‫إلى‬ ‫مباشرة‬ ‫التوجه‬ ‫فالرجاء‬ ، ‫عليه‬ ‫حصلت‬ ‫قد‬ ‫تكن‬ ‫لم‬ ‫اذا‬ ‫أما‬ ،22
22. How did you receive this careers advice? You may select more than one (1).
‫واحد‬ ‫خيار‬ ‫من‬ ‫أكثر‬ ‫تحديد‬ ‫الممكن‬ ‫من‬ ‫الوظيفي؟‬ ‫اإلرشاد‬ ‫تلقيت‬ ‫كيف‬
Careers advisor at schools / ‫المدرسة‬ ‫في‬ ‫الوظيفي‬ ‫المرشد‬ ‫خالل‬ ‫من‬
Careers event/fair / ‫التوظيف‬ ‫معارض‬ ‫خالل‬ ‫من‬
Printed information (e.g. booklets) / ‫الكتيبات‬ ‫مثل‬ ‫المطبوعات‬ ‫خالل‬ ‫من‬
Visits to/by employers / ‫العمل‬ ‫أصحاب‬ ‫قبل‬ ‫من‬ ‫أو‬ ‫إلى‬ ‫الزيارات‬
From family and friends / ‫األصدقاء‬ ‫أو‬ ‫العائلة‬ ‫من‬
23. How effective was this advice in help you to select your subjects at school?
‫المدرسة؟‬ ‫في‬ ‫بك‬ ‫الخاصة‬ ‫المواضيع‬ ‫الختيار‬ ‫مساعدتك‬ ‫في‬ ‫النصيحة‬ ‫هذه‬ ‫مثل‬ ‫فعالية‬ ‫مدى‬ ‫ما‬
Highly ineffective / ‫للغاية‬ ‫فعالة‬ ‫غير‬
Ineffective / ‫فعال‬ ‫غير‬
Not effective or ineffective / ‫فعالة‬ ‫غير‬ ‫أو‬ ‫فعالة‬ ‫ليست‬
Effective / ‫فعال‬
Highly effective / ‫للغاية‬ ‫فعالة‬
24. How effective was this advice in helping you to decide on your future studies and/or your
preferred future job?
‫فعالية‬ ‫مدى‬ ‫ما‬‫المستقبل؟‬ ‫في‬ ‫عملك‬ ‫أو‬ ‫دراستك‬ ‫عن‬ ‫الخاص‬ ‫القرار‬ ‫التخاذ‬ ‫مساعدتك‬ ‫في‬ ‫المهنية‬ ‫المشورة‬ ‫وتقديم‬
Highly ineffective / ‫للغاية‬ ‫فعالة‬ ‫غير‬
Ineffective / ‫فعال‬ ‫غير‬
Not effective or ineffective / ‫فعالة‬ ‫غير‬ ‫أو‬ ‫فعالة‬ ‫ليست‬
Effective / ‫فعال‬
Highly effective / ‫فعالة‬‫للغاية‬

181
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25. What is the likelihood that you will receive careers advice in the near future?
‫القريب؟‬ ‫المستقبل‬ ‫في‬ ‫مهنية‬ ‫استشارة‬ ‫على‬ ‫حصولك‬ ‫احتمالية‬ ‫هي‬ ‫ما‬
Highly unlikely / ‫جدا‬ ‫المستبعد‬ ‫من‬
Unlikely / ‫المحتمل‬ ‫غير‬ ‫من‬
Not likely or unlikely / ‫ليس‬‫المرجح‬ ‫من‬ ‫أو‬ ‫المرجح‬ ‫من‬
Likely / ‫األرجح‬ ‫على‬
Highly likely / ‫جدا‬ ‫المرجح‬ ‫من‬
IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN RECEIVING CAREERS ADVICE AT SCHOOL, answer Questions 25 and 26. If you
are NOT interested in receiving careers advice, go to Question 27.
‫إ‬‫ذا‬‫على‬ ‫االجابة‬ ‫يرجى‬ ،‫المدرسة‬ ‫في‬ ‫الوظيفي‬ ‫اإلرشاد‬ ‫على‬ ‫للحصول‬ ً‫ا‬‫مهتم‬ ‫كنت‬ ‫و‬ ‫األسئلة‬22‫و‬22‫السؤال‬ ‫إلى‬ ‫انتقل‬ ، ‫بذلك‬ ‫ترغب‬ ‫ال‬ ‫كنت‬ ‫إذا‬ ‫أما‬ . 27
26. At what age/grade would careers advice be most helpful to you?
‫اإل‬ ‫يكون‬ ‫ان‬ ‫تتوقع‬ ‫التي‬ ‫الدراسية‬ /‫العمرية‬ ‫المرحلة‬ ‫ماهي‬‫لك؟‬ ً‫ا‬‫مفيد‬ ‫الوظيفي‬ ‫رشاد‬
Before age 10/Grade 5 / ‫الخامس‬ ‫الصف‬ / ‫العاشرة‬ ‫سن‬ ‫قبل‬
Age 11-14/Grades 7-10 / ‫العاشر‬ ‫إلى‬ ‫السابع‬ ‫الصفوف‬ / ‫عشر‬ ‫والرابعة‬ ‫عشر‬ ‫الحادي‬ ‫سن‬ ‫بين‬ ‫ما‬
Age 14+/After Grade 10 / ‫العاشر‬ ‫الصف‬ ‫بعد‬ / ‫عشر‬ ‫الرابعة‬ ‫سن‬ ‫فوق‬
27. How would you like to receive careers advice? You may select more than one (1).
‫الوظيفي؟‬ ‫اإلرشاد‬ ‫على‬ ‫للحصول‬ ‫تفضلها‬ ‫التي‬ ‫الطريقة‬ ‫هي‬ ‫ما‬
Websites / ‫االلكترونية‬ ‫المواقع‬
Social networking sites (e.g. Facebook, Twitter) / :‫مثل‬ ‫اإلجتماعية‬ ‫المواقع‬‫بوك‬ ‫والفيس‬ ‫التويتر‬ )
Television/radio / ‫الراديو‬ / ‫التلفاز‬
Printed materials (e.g. booklets) / ‫المطبوعات‬
Careers advisors in educational institutions / ‫التعليمية‬ ‫المؤسسات‬ ‫في‬ ‫الوظائف‬ ‫مستشاري‬
Dedicated careers centres in each Emirate / ‫مراكز‬‫إمارة‬ ‫كل‬ ‫في‬ ‫المخصصة‬ ‫الوظائف‬
Careers events/fairs / ‫التوظيف‬ ‫معارض‬
Direct from employers / ‫الصناعية‬ ‫المعارض‬ ‫وحضور‬ ‫العمل‬ ‫أصحاب‬ ‫قبل‬ ‫من‬ ‫أو‬ ‫إلى‬ ‫الزيارة‬ ، ‫العملية‬ ‫الخبرة‬ ‫تلقي‬ ‫مثل‬ ‫العمل‬ ‫اصحاب‬ ‫من‬ ‫مباشرة‬
Being mentored by someone who is working in a job of interest to you ‫لدي‬ ‫مفضلة‬ ‫وظيفة‬ ‫في‬ ‫يعمل‬ ‫شخص‬ ‫قبل‬ ‫من‬ ‫اإلرشاد‬
28. How would you rate your level of knowledge about the future job you want to do and industry you want
to work in? e.g. number of employers and jobs, working conditions, knowledge, skills and qualifications
needed for the job, etc.
‫المثال‬ ‫سبيل‬ ‫على‬ ‫؟‬ ً‫ال‬‫مستقب‬ ‫فيه‬ ‫العمل‬ ‫تود‬ ‫الذي‬ ‫الصناعي‬ ‫القطاع‬ ‫أو‬ ‫الوظيفة‬ ‫بمتطلبات‬ ‫معرفتك‬ ‫مستوى‬ ‫هو‬ ‫ما‬‫العمل‬ ‫وأصحاب‬ ‫الوظائف‬ ‫عدد‬ / ‫الظروف‬ ‫الخاصة‬
‫المطلوبة‬ ‫والمؤهالت‬ ‫والمهارات‬ ‫/المعارف‬ ‫بالعمل‬‫الخ‬ ،‫الوظيفة‬ ‫على‬ ‫للحصول‬
Very low / ‫جدا‬ ‫منخفض‬
Low / ‫منخفض‬
Average / ‫متوسط‬
Good / ‫جيد‬
Very good / ‫جدا‬ ‫جيد‬

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29. What is the minimum starting (monthly) salary for a graduate in your preferred job?
‫لك‬ ‫المتوقع‬ ‫الشهري‬ ‫للراتب‬ ‫األدنى‬ ‫الحد‬ ‫هو‬ ‫ما‬‫لديك؟‬ ‫المفضلة‬ ‫الوظيفة‬ ‫كخريج،وفي‬
Less than 5,000 AED per month / ‫من‬ ‫أقل‬5000ً‫ا‬‫شهري‬ ‫درهم‬
5,000-9,999 AED per month / ‫من‬5000‫إلى‬9,999ً‫ا‬‫شهري‬ ‫درهم‬
40,000 AED and over per month / 40,000 ً‫ا‬‫شهري‬ ‫وأكثر‬ ‫درهم‬
30. If you know the minimum starting (monthly) salary for your preferred job, how did you find it out?
‫والمبدئي‬ ‫الشهري‬ ‫الراتب‬ ‫تجد‬ ‫كيف‬‫الراتب)؟‬ ‫قيمة‬ ‫تعرف‬ ‫كنت‬ ‫حال‬ ‫في‬ ‫االجابة‬ ‫(يرجى‬ ‫المفضلة‬ ‫لوظيفتك‬
31. Are you aware of Tanmia, the government body that helps Emirati job seekers and provides
careers guidance services?
‫"تنمية‬ ‫هيئة‬ ‫عن‬ ‫سمعت‬ ‫ان‬ ‫لك‬ ‫سبق‬ ‫-"هل‬ ‫مساعدة‬ ‫على‬ ‫تعمل‬ ‫التي‬ ‫الحكومية‬ ‫الهيئة‬‫العمل‬ ‫عن‬ ‫الباحثين‬ ‫المواطنين‬‫لهم؟‬ ‫الوظيفي‬ ‫اإلرشاد‬ ‫خدمات‬ ‫وتقديم‬
Yes / ‫نعم‬
No / ‫ال‬
SECTION 5: FUTURE DEMAND FOR JOBS / ‫الوظائف‬ ‫عىل‬ ‫احلصول‬ ‫يف‬ ‫تقبلية‬‫املس‬ ‫الرغبة‬
32. In the future, which of the following industries do you think will provide good employment opportunities in
the UAE? You may pick more than one (1).
‫؟‬ ‫الدولة‬ ‫في‬ ‫المناسبة‬ ‫العمل‬ ‫فرص‬ ‫بتوفير‬ ً‫ال‬‫مستقب‬ ‫سيقوم‬ ‫التالية‬ ‫الصناعية‬ ‫القطاعات‬ ‫من‬ ‫برأيك‬ ‫من‬‫واحد‬ ‫خيار‬ ‫من‬ ‫أكثر‬ ‫تحديد‬ ‫يمكنك‬
Government services and public administration (includes Defence & Policing) / ‫العامة‬ ‫واالدرة‬ ‫الحكومية‬ ‫الخدمات‬
Community, health and social services / ‫االجتماعية‬ ‫والخدمات‬ ‫والصحة‬ ‫المجتمع‬
Business, administration and financial services / ‫األعمال‬ ‫إدارة‬‫المالية‬ ‫والخدمات‬
Tourism, hospitality, retail and leisure services / ‫المنزلية‬ ‫والخدمات‬ ‫والترفيه‬ ‫التجزئة‬ ‫وبيع‬ ‫والضيافة‬ ‫السياحة‬
Arts, culture and entertainment / ‫والترفيه‬ ‫والفنون‬ ‫الثقافة‬
Education, learning, and social development / ‫والتعليم‬ ‫التربية‬‫االجتماعية‬ ‫والتنمية‬
Building/construction, estates & assets development/management / ‫المرافق‬ ‫وإدارة‬ ‫التحتية‬ ‫ابنية‬ ‫وتطوير‬ ‫والتعمير‬ ‫البناء‬
‫والممتلكات‬
Utilities and infrastructure / ‫التحتية‬ ‫البنية‬ ‫مرافق‬
Energy resources – oil, natural gas, petrochemical, chemical, and mining/quarrying / ‫الطاقة‬ ‫–مصادر‬ ‫والغاز‬ ‫النفط‬
‫والمعادن‬ ‫والبتروكيماويات‬ ‫الطبيعي‬
Manufacturing / ‫التصنيع‬
Logistics and transport / ‫والنقل‬ ‫اإلمداد‬
Agriculture, livestock and fishery / ‫والسمكية‬ ‫الحيوانية‬ ‫والثروة‬ ‫الزراعة‬
Other / ‫تحديدها‬ ‫الرجاء‬ /‫أخرى‬

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33. In the future, how many jobs do you think will be available in the job of most interest to you?
See Question 14 for your preferred job.
‫الوظائف‬ ‫من‬ ‫كم‬‫؟‬ً‫ال‬‫مستقب‬ ً‫ا‬‫متوفر‬ ‫سيكون‬ ‫برأيك‬ ‫بها‬ ‫العمل‬ ‫تفضل‬ ‫التي‬ ‫للسؤال‬ ‫الرجوع‬ ‫الرجاء‬42‫لك‬ ‫المفضل‬ ‫بالعمل‬ ‫والخاص‬
More jobs / ‫أكثر‬ ‫وظائف‬
Less jobs / ‫أقل‬ ‫وظائف‬
No change - same number of jobs as now / ً‫ا‬‫حالي‬ ‫الموجودة‬ ‫العمل‬ ‫فرص‬ ‫عدد‬ ‫نفس‬ ‫تغيير‬ ‫ال‬
Unsure / ‫لست‬‫متأكد‬
34. In the future, do you think there will be more or less jobs in the public (government) sector?
‫الحكومي؟‬ ‫القطاع‬ ‫في‬ ‫الوظائف‬ ‫من‬ ‫أكثر‬ ‫أم‬ ‫أقل‬ ‫عدد‬ ‫توفر‬ ،ً‫ال‬‫مستقب‬ ‫تتوقع‬ ‫هل‬
More jobs / ‫أكثر‬ ‫وظائف‬
Less jobs / ‫أقل‬ ‫وظائف‬
No change - same number of jobs as now / ً‫ا‬‫حالي‬ ‫الموجودة‬ ‫العمل‬ ‫فرص‬ ‫عدد‬ ‫نفس‬ ‫تغيير‬ ‫ال‬
Unsure / ‫متأكد‬ ‫لست‬
35. Do you have any final comments? / ‫أخرى‬ ‫تعليقات‬ ‫أي‬ ‫لديك‬ ‫هل‬‫؟‬

184
Appendices
Appendix 4: Higher education survey
Data collected from this survey will provide the National Qualifications Authority (NQA), Federal
Demographic Council and other interested bodies with information about the careers aspirations
of students studying in universities, colleges and institutes in the UAE as well as the support they
need to help them achieve their aspirations. The NQA will then suggest ways to help students
learn more about the range of real-world occupations with excellent employment prospects. As
the survey does not ask for your name, your identity is anonymous. If you have any questions
about the survey, contact Malik Althuwaini (fdc.project@nqa.gov.ae or 971 (0)2 815 6633) or send
a letter to the Research and Development Unit, National Qualifications Authority, P.O. Box 63003,
Abu Dhabi.
SECTION 1: ABOUT YOU
1. University/college/institute name
2. Emirate
Abu Dhabi
Ajman
Dubai
Fujairah
Ras Al Khaimah
Sharjah
Umm Al Quwain
3. City / ‫املدينة‬
4. Gender / ‫الجنس‬
Male / ‫ذكر‬
Female / ‫أنثى‬
5. Age in years
6. Nationality / ‫الجنسية‬
Emirati / ‫إماراتي‬
Non-Emirati / ‫أخرى‬ ‫جنسية‬

185
Appendices
SECTION 2: YOUR STUDY AND CAREER INTENTIONS
7. What are you studying? Please state your course.
8. What year of study are your currently in?
1st year
2nd year
3rd year
4th year
Other
9. What year did you start your course?
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
Other
10. What is your main subject area/field of study?
Education
Humanities
Arts (e.g. fine arts, performing arts, visual arts)
Social and behavioural science (e.g. psychology)
Journalism and information (e.g. library studies)
Business and administration (e.g. banking, HR, marketing, sales, retailing, office work)
Law
Life/physical sciences
Mathematics and statistics
Computing/IT
Engineering/engineering trades
Manufacturing and processing
Architecture
Agriculture, forestry and fishery

186
Appendices
Health (including medicine, dentistry and nursing)
Social work and social care (e.g. disabled, youth)
Personal services (e.g. hospitality, tourism, beauty)
Transport (e.g. shipping, airlines, roads)
Environment protection
Security services (e.g. armed forces, fire fighting, police)
Other
11. What level is your program?
Diploma
Higher Diploma
Associate degree
Bachelor
Graduate Certificate
Graduate Diploma/Post-graduate Diploma
Masters
Doctorate
Other
12. Did you start your course after finishing school?
Yes
No
Unsure
13. If you did NOT start your course straight after finishing school, what were you doing before that?
(e.g. working, having a break, travelling, etc.)
14. What was important to you when selecting your course. You may select more than one (1).
Close to home
Family wishes
A course offered at a particular institution
Reputation of a particular institution
Entry requirements/standards
Opportunity to study overseas later later
Availability of a good job when you graduate

187
Appendices
Graduate salary and conditions
Status
Unsure
Other
15. Have you completed a foundation course?
Yes
No
16. Do you agree or disagree with this statement? The foundation course prepared me well for the
course I am currently studying.
Highly disagree
Disagree
Neither agree or disagree
Agree
Highly agree
17. After finishing university or college do you intend to:
Find a job
Enrol in another course
Have a break for a year or more (e.g. travel, family
reasons) before returning to study or finding a job
Unsure
Other

188
Appendices
18. Generic skills are essential skills that underpin and support the performance and functionality in every
day work and learning. They are generic in that they apply to work generally rather than being
specific to work in a particular occupation or industry. These skills are known as CoreLife Skills in the
UAE. How would you rate your level of generic (CoreLife) skills? Please tick for each generic skill.
Very
low
Low Average Good
Very
good
Unsure
Communicating information, concepts
and ideas
leadership
SECTION 3: PREFERRED INDUSTRY AND JOB
19. In the future, what industry would you most like to work in?
Education, learning, and social development
Energy resources – oil, natural gas, petrochemical, chemical, and mining/quarrying
Manufacturing
I don’t know
Other

189
Appendices
20. In the future, what job would you most like to do?
21. How relevant is your course to your preferred future job and industry of employment?
Highly irrelevant
Irrelevant
Neither relevant or irrelevant
Relevant
Highly relevant
22. How difficult/easy will it be to find employment in your preferred job and industry?
Very difficult
Difficult
Neither easy or difficult
Easy
Very easy
23. Would you prefer to work in the public (government) or private sector?
Public (government) sector
Private sector
Unsure
24. Please explain your response to the above question.
25. What is the minimum starting (monthly) salary you would accept before taking your preferred job?
Less than 5,000 AED per month
5,000-9,999 AED per month
40,000 AED and over per month
Starting salary is not important to me
Unsure

190
Appendices
SECTION 4: CAREERS ADVICE
26. Have you ever received careers advice?
Yes
No
Unsure
If you have received careers advice, answer Questions 27, 28 and 29. If you have NOT received careers
advice, go the Question 30.
27. How did you receive this careers advice? You may select more than one (1).
Careers advisor at schools
Careers event/fair
Printed information (e.g. booklets)
Visits to/by employers
From family and friends
Other
28. How effective was this advice in helping you to select your current course?
Highly ineffective
Ineffective
Neither effective or ineffective
Effective
Highly effective
29. How effective was this advice in helping you to decide on your preferred future job?
Highly ineffective
Ineffective
Neither effective or ineffective
Effective
Highly effective

191
Appendices
30. What is the likelihood that you will receive careers advice in the near future?
Highly Unikely
Unikely
Neither likely or unlikely
Likely
Highly likely
31. If you are likely to receive careers advice in the near future, how would you like to receive this advice?
You may select more than one (1).
Websites
Social networking sites (e.g. Facebook, Twitter)
Television/radio
Printed materials (e.g. booklets)
Careers advisors in educational institutions
Dedicated careers centres in each Emirate
Careers events/fairs
Direct from employers (e.g. work experience, visits to/by employers, attendance at industry events)
Being mentored by someone who is working in a job of interest to you
I am not interested in receiving careers advice
Other
32. How would you rate your level of knowledge about the future job you want to do? e.g. number of
employers and jobs, working conditions, knowledge, skills and qualifications needed for the job, etc.
Very low
Low
Average
Good
Very good
33. What is the minimum starting (monthly) salary for a graduate in your preferred job?
Less than 5,000 AED per month
40,000 AED and over per month
Unsure
34. If you know the minimum starting (monthly) salary for your preferred job, how did you find it out?

192
Appendices
35. Are you aware of Tanmia, the government body that helps Emirati job seekers and provides careers
guidance services?
Yes
No
Unsure
SECTION 5: FUTURE DEMAND FOR JOBS
36. In the future, which of the following industries do you think will provide good employment opportunities in
the UAE? You may pick more than one (1).
Education, learning, and social development
Energy resources – oil, natural gas, petrochemical, chemical + mining/ quarrying
Manufacturing
Unsure
Other
37. In the future, do you think there will be more or less jobs in the job of most interest to you? See
Question 20 for your preferred job.
More jobs
Less jobs
Same number of jobs as now (no change)
Unsure
38. In the future, do you think there will be more or less jobs in the public (government) sector?
More jobs
Less jobs
Same number of jobs as now (no change)
Unsure
39. Do you have any final comments?

193
Appendices
Appendix 5: Industry validation survey
Dear Industry Expert Group member
Thank you for accepting our invitation to be a member of the industry expert group to review the
Employer Validation Report using this survey. See Chapter 2 of the report for information about the
project's background, approach and industry validation exercise.
This survey asks you to indicate to what extent you 'agree' or 'disagree' with the findings and
observations presented in the Employer Validation Report and to add any comments you may have
about them. The final questions ask for your feedback about the readability, structure and presentation
of the report and any general comments you have about the project.
You will need the hard copy of the report in front of you to complete the survey. We have numbered and
highlighted all findings and observations in the report to make this validation exercise easier for you.
We would like to show our appreciation for your contribution to the project by naming you in the final
report. You can provide your details by completing the optional question at the end of the
survey. Regardless of whether you provide your details or not, your views are kept strictly confidential.
If you have any questions about this project, contact Dr Sandra Haukka, National Qualifications
Authority, Abu Dhabi, sandra.haukka@nqa.gov.ae, 02 815 6677.
Thank you for your time, effort and interest in this important project that aims to benefit a range of
stakeholders in the UAE.
SECTION 3.2: JOBS AND EMPLOYABILITY INDICATORS OF THE QFEMIRATES
To what extent do you 'agree' or 'disagree' with each of the findings and observations presented in Section 3.2
of the report?
Highly disagree Disagree Neither
agree/disagree
Agree Highly agree
Finding 1
Finding 2
Finding 3
Finding 4
Finding 5
Finding 6
Observation 1
Observation 2
Observation 3
Do you have any comments about the findings and observations in Section 3.2 Jobs and employability
indicators of the QFEmirates?

194
Appendices
SECTION 3.3 GENERIC (CORELIFE) SKILLS
To what extent do you 'agree' or 'disagree' with each of the findings and observations presented in Section 3.3 of
the report?
Highly disagree Disagree
Neither
agree/disagree
Agree Highly agree
Finding 7
Finding 8
Finding 9
Finding 10
Observation 4
Observation 5
Observation 6
Observation 7
Do you have any comments about the findings and observations in Section 3.3 Generic (CoreLife) skills
of graduates?
SECTION 3.4 RECRUITMENT OF GRADUATES
the report?
Neither
agree/disagree
Agree Highly agree
Finding 11
Observation 8
Observation 9
Finding 12
Observation 10
Observation 11
Observation 12
Observation 13
Observation 14
Finding 13
Observation 15
Observation 16
Finding 14
Observation 17

195
Appendices
Do you have any comments about the findings and observations in Section 3.4 Recruitment of graduates?
SECTION 3.5 HIRING INTENTIONS OF EMPLOYERS
the report?
Neither
agree/disagree
Agree Highly agree
Finding 15
Observation 18
Observation 19
Observation 20
Finding 16
Observation 21
Observation 22
Do you have any comments about the findings and observations in Section 3.5 Hiring intentions of
employers?
SECTION 3.6 ORGANISATIONAL FACTORS
To what extent do you 'agree' or 'disagree' with the observation presented in Section 3.6 Organisational factors?
Neither
agree/disagree
Agree Highly agree
Observation 23 (p. 29)
Do you have any comments about the observation in Section 3.6 Organisational factors?

196
Appendices
SECTION 3.7 GENERAL COMMENTS
To what extent do you 'agree' or 'disagree' with the finding and observations in Section 3.7 General Comments
Neither
agree/disagree
Agree Highly agree
Finding 17
Observation 24
Observation 25
Observation 26
Do you have any comments about the observation in Section 3.7 General comments (made by survey
participants)?
QUALITY OF REPORT
How would you rate the quality of the report in terms of readibility, structure and presentation?
Very low Low Average Good Very good Unsure
Readability of report
Structure of report
Presentation of report
INCLUSION IN FINAL REPORT
Would you like to the named in the final report?
Yes
No
If yes, please enter your details below:
Title
Name
Organisation
Email address
FINAL COMMENTS
Do you have any final comments about findings, observations, the report's readability/structure/
presentation and/or the project in general?

197
Appendices
Appendix 6: Survey returns
Employer survey returns by industry sector
Industry sector No. of participants % of participants
Government Services and Public Administration 5 6%
Community, Health and Social Services 1 1.2%
Business, Administration and Financial Services 24 28.9%
Tourism, Hospitality, Retail and Leisure Services 6 7.2%
Arts, Culture and Entertainment 7 8.4%
Education, Learning and Social Development 11 13.3%
Building and Construction, Estates and Assets
Development and Management
9 10.8%
Utilities and infrastructure 1 1.2%
Energy Resources 4 4.8%
Manufacturing 7 8.4%
Logistics and Transport 5 6%
Agriculture, Livestock and Fishery 1 1.2%
No response 2 2.4%
Total 83 100%
Secondary school returns by institution
School Name School type
Number of
participants
Applied Technology High School/Institute of Applied
Technology (IAT), Abu Dhabi
Public 307
Applied Technology High School/IAT, Fujairah Public 201
Applied Technology High School/IAT, Sharjah Public 61
Scholars Indian School Private 51
Ras Al Khaimah Academy Private 50
Raha International School Private 35
Al Salam Girls Cycle 2 & High School Public 29
Australian International School Private 23
Al Ameer English School Private 19
Anas Bin Al Nadhar Basic & Secondary Education School Public 8
Liwa International School Private 5
Palestine Girls School Abu Dhabi Public 3
Applied Technology High School, Ras Al Public 2
Haneen Girls for Secondary Education Public 1
Al Noman Bin Basheer Public 1
British International School Abu Dhabi Private 1
Rashid Bin Saeed School Boys Cycle 2 and High School Public 1
Fujairah Private Academy Private 1
No response 4
Total returns 803

198
Appendices
Higher education survey returns by institution
Institution name Number of participants
Ras Al Khaimah Medical and Health Sciences University 261
American University of Sharjah 209
American University in Dubai 99
Al Ain Women's College HCT 83
University of Sharjah 51
Al Ain Men's College HCT 29
Zayed University 24
Al Jaheli Institute of Science and Technology (ADVETI) 22
Abu Dhabi Vocational Education and Training Institute (ADVETI) 21
Sharjah Institute of Technology 18
National Institute for Vocational Education (NIVE) 18
Baynunah Institute of Science and Technology (ADVETI) 17
Ruwais Women’s College HCT 17
Al Ain International Aviation Academy 11
Ruwais Men's College HCT 10
Fujairah Women’s College HCT 9
Al Reef Institute of Logistics and Applied Technology (ADVETI) 5
Fatima College of Health Sciences 3
Masdar Institute of Science and Technology 1
No response 7
Total HE students 915

Appendix 7: Employer responses to qualifications, knowledge, skills and experience requirements for jobs
Qualification Occupational and Qualification Link Required Knowledge, Skills and Experience
Doctoral degree (mastery of a highly specialized field of knowledge)
QFEmirates level 10
Leading
specialist/expert
Employability in the
leadership of research
and critical change
activity
 CEO
 CFO
 Chief Officers
 Chief Operating
Officer
 Consultant
 Department head
 Director
 Director of Psychology
 Engineering
Manager
 General Manager
 Head of Instructor
 Head of Research
and Development
 Manager
 MD
 Meteorologist
 PhD in Mechanical
Engineering
 Practice Lead
 President
 Researcher
 Senior Manager
 Trader/Sales
 University Professor
 Analyst
 Business
Development
Manager
 Business Product
Manager/Specialist
 CEO
 Consultant
 Contracts Manager
 Copywriter
 Creative Director
 Creative Strategist
 Department
Manager
 Design Manager
 Designer - 3D
 Director
 Director of
Operations
 Director of
Psychology
 Engineer
 Engineer -
Biomedical
 Environmental
Manager
 ERP Specialist
 Executive Chef
 Executive Manager
 Field Editor
 Finance
Manager/Specialist
 Head Instructor
 Head Of Accounts
 Head of Department
 Head of R and D
 Head of Research
 HR Recruitment
Specialist
 Human Resource
Manager/Specialist
 IT Finance
 Logistical Systems
Engineer
 Manager
 Marketing
 Master degree with
lots of experience
 Organisational
Psychologist
 Partner
 Practice Lead
 Project Director
 Revenue
 Sales Director
 Sales Executive
 Sales Manager
 Section Manager
 Senior Executive
 Senior Manager
 Senior Officer
 Shift managers
 Team Leader
 Technical Director
 Technology
Specialist
 Underwriting
Manager
 University professor
Masters degree (comprehensive highly specialized knowledge in a field of work, discipline or professional practice)
QFEmirates level 9
Higher Professional
professionals or leaders
in specialised fields
 Administrative unit
manager
 Analysts
 Architect
 Area Manager
 Business Development
Manager
 CEO
 CFO
 Chief Officer
 General Manager
 Head of Department
 Head of English
Language and
Training
 Head of Marketing
 HR Manager
 Human Resources
Leadership Program
Director
 Planner
 Principal Partner
 Project Manager
 Researcher
 Sales/Marketing
Director
 Senior Administration
Staff
 Senior Architect
 Senior Accountants
 Administrative Unit
Manager
 Architect
 Art Director
 Assistant Manager
 Auditor
 CEO
 Consultant
 Country
Director/Manager
 Executive Producer
 Finance
 Finance Manager
 Hr Trainee
 It
 It Manager
 Manager
 Managing
Consultant
 Marketing
 Post Production
Manager
 Revenue
 Sales Manager
 Senior Accountant
 Senior Engineer
 Senior Fellow
 Senior Instructor
 Senior Manager
 Senior Reactor
199

 Commercial Director
 Consultant
 Counselor
 Designer
 Director
 Director of
Development
Department
 Division and
Department Manager
 Engineer
 Engineering
 Experienced
Commercial
Leadership Program
Director
 Insights Manager
 Management and
Technology
Consultant
 Manager
 Manager,
Supervision
 Managing
Consultant
 Managing Director
 Marketing Manager
 MD
 Organisational
Psychologist
 Organization
Development and
Associate
Researcher
 Research and
Development
 Senior Engineer
 Senior Instructors
 Senior Legal
Researcher
 Senior Manager
 Senior Officer
 Strategist Roles
 Trader/Sales
 Vice President (VP)
 Design Engineer
 Designer
 Director
 Director Contract
Logistics
 Engineer
 Marketing Personnel
 Medical Doctor
 Modeler
 Nurse
Operator
 Senior System
Developer
 Service Operation
Leader
 Technical Surveyor
Graduate Diploma (advanced specialist knowledge in a field of work or discipline and/or high level research, analysis and problem-solving skills)
QFEmirates level 8
Professional
Employability as
autonomous
professionals and as
managers
 Administration Officer
Engineer
 Associate Researcher
 Auditor
 Client Servicing
Account
 Consultant
 Customer Service
Supervisor
 Designer
 Engineer
 Executive
 Finance Manager
 Financial Reporting
Manager
 General Supervisor (T)
 HR/Admin position
 Instructors
 IT Engineer/
Administrator
 IT Manager
 Manager
 Manager - Marketing
 Networking Engineer
 PR Director
 Recruitment Manager
 Research Analyst
 Senior Manager
 Senior Supervisor
 Specialty eg CIPD for
HR staff
 Supervisor
 Sustainable
Development
Engineer/Manager
 Technical Apprentice
 Transmission operator
 Underwriter
 Accountant
 Administration
Officer
 Analyst
 Associate
Researcher
 Auditor
 Assurance Services
staff
Executive
 Construction
Manager
 Consultant
 Control Room
Operator
 Editor
 Engineer
 Finance Director
 Finance Manager
 Graphics Supervisor
 HR Manager
 Instructor
 Lab Analyst
 Manager
 Manager -
Accounting
 Manager - Marketing
 Media Administrator
 Quantity Surveyor
 Recruitment
Manager
 Research Officer
 Researcher
 Safety
 Sales Manager
 Senior Administration
Professional
 SRO Instructor
 Teacher/has a
certificate in
teaching, and
experience too
 Trader/Sales
 Trainer
 Training Director
200

Bachelor degree (specialized factual and theoretical knowledge in a field of work or study)
QFEmirates level 7
Para-Professional and
Higher Technical
Employability at the
upper end of many
technical occupations,
or in para-professional
and management roles
 Accountant
 Administration Staff
 Administrator
 All professional services
staff
 Analyst
 Analyst in Workforce
Solutions
 Architect
 Assistant Auditor
 Assistant HR Manager
 Assistant Secretaries
 Assistant Training
Manager
 Associate
 Associate Consultant
 Auditor
 Automation Engineer
 Basic requirement for
all hires except
specialised retail roles
 Business Development
Executive
 Chemist
Account Manager
 Commercial
Leadership Program
 Consultant
 Consultant in
Workforce Solutions
Agent
 Design Engineer
 Designer
 Edison Engineering
Program
 Editor
 Engineer
 Engineer Biomedical
 Engineer IT
 Engineer -
Mechanical
 Engineer - Network
 Engineering
Technical
Apprentice
 Engineer -
Spacecraft
 ERP Administration
 Estimating Engineer
 Finance Assistant
 Finance Executive
 Finance
Management
Program
 Financial Analyst
 General Supervisor
(IT)
 Graduate Trainee
Program
 HR Consultants
 Human Resources
 Human Resources
Officer
 Instructors
 Instrumentation
Engineer
 Interactive Manager
 IT specialist
 Manager
 Marketing
 Marketing & Business
Development
 Marketing Executive
 Media Administrator
 Network Admin
Officer
 Planning Engineer
 PR Manager
 Managers – project,
quality, safety,
operations,
production
 Quantity Surveyor
 Recruitment
Consultant
 Marketing Officer
 Researcher
 Resourcer
 Sales Executive
 Sales, Accounts
 Secretary
 Security Systems
Engineer
 Semi Senior Auditor
 Semi Senior
Secretaries
 Senior Auditor
 Senior reactor
operator
 Senior Secretaries
 Site Superintendent
 Specialist/Controller
 Supervisor
 Teacher Arabic
 Teacher English
 Teacher French
 Team Leader
 Trader/Sales
 Writer
 Administration
Professional
 Auditor
 Automation Engineer
 Clinical Specialist
 Designer
 Engineer
 Factory Manager
 Instructor
 Instrumentation
Engineer
 IT
 Networking
 Project Manager
 Senior Technician
 Spacecraft Engineer
 System Analyst
 Technical Team
 Technical Trainee
 Technician
(chemistry, I&C,
radiation protection)
 Test Proctor
 Writer
201

Diploma (Advanced) (specialist body of knowledge of an occupational field)
QFEmirates level 6
Supervisory and
Technical
developed and
specialist craft-worker,
technician or
 Admin Assistant
 Administrator
 Agent/Assistant/
Cashier
 Clerical staff
 Convention Services
Executive
Agents
 Designer
 Draftsman
 Electrical Technician
 Engineer
 Engineering Technical
Apprentice
 Finance
 HR
 Human Resources
Coordinator
 Inspectors
 Instructor Junior
 IT
 IT Support Specialist
 Maintenance
technicians
 Manager -
Accounting
 Media Librarian
 Nurse
 Receptionist
 Security Systems
Technician
 Supervisor (T)
 Teacher English
Language
 Technical support
officer
 Technician
 Teller/associate
 Auditor
 Engineer
 Engineer - Oil & Gas
 Engineer -Power &
Water
 E-services Section
Manager
 Facility manager
 Foreman
 Foreman - General
 General Supervisor
(T)
 Instructor
 Lead Aircraft
Mechanic
 Project Manager
 QA Manager
 Sales Team Leader
 Technical Team
 Technician
(Mechanical,
Electrical,
Instrumentation)
 Warehouse
Supervisor
 Web Developer
Associate degree/diploma (comprehensive body of knowledge of an occupational field)
QFEmirates level 5
Highly Skilled
Employability as an
advanced craft-worker,
technician or
and/or in limited
supervisory roles
professional careers with
strong general
employability
 Administrator
 Chefs
 Coordinator
Representative
 Customer Services
Executive
 Designer
 Executive
 Finance
 HR
 Inspector
 Instructor Junior
 IT Support Specialist
 Senior Tours
Consultant
 Supervisor
 Technical
 Technician
(Mechanical,
Electrical,
Instrumentation)
 Chef
 Data Entry Clerk with
great Computer
Knowledge
 Engineer
 Engineer -
Healthcare Field
 Flight Operations
Engineer
 Graduate
 Inspector
 Instructor
 IT
 Laboratory Technical
 Officer
 Production
Coordinator
 Senior Consultant
 Supervisor
 Technical Team
202

Certificate 4 (broad specialised knowledge and skills of an occupational field)
QFEmirates level 4
Skilled
Employability as a
generalist craft-worker,
technician or
and/or lead teams
strong general
employability
 Administrator
 CAD Technician
 Customer service role
 Documentation
Assistant
 Electrician
 Entry Level
 Finance role
 Foreman
 Instrument Mechanic
 Mechanic
 Spacecraft
Controller
 Technician
 Administrative
 Administrator
 Architect
 Carpenter
 Consultant
 Electricians
 Engineer - Electrical
& Mechanical
 Finance Team
 Graduate
 Inspector
 Junior Instructor
 Office Manager
 Operator
 Sales Consultant
 Spacecraft
Controller
 Technical Team
 Technician
 Waiter
 Welder
 Worker
Certificate 3 (broad range of factual and procedural knowledge of a field of work or discipline)
QFEmirates level 3
Semi-skilled
Entry to many
occupational sectors and
employment in semi-
skilled vocational
occupations
 Administrator
 Artisan
 Craftsman
 Driver
 Entry Level
 Executive Assistant
 Office Assistant
 Technician
 Tradesmen
 Waiter
Certificate 2 (general, factual knowledge of a defined field of work or discipline)
QFEmirates level 2
General
Entry to many
occupational sectors and
employment in roles
requiring routine general
skills
 Administrator
 Assistant Technician
 Cashier
 Driver
 Entry Level
 Office Clerks
 Senior Operator
 Technician
 Typist
 Administration
 Assistant
 Cashier
 Clerk
 Driver
 Guest Services
Executive
 Helper
 Operator
 Service Team
Certificate 1 (elementary knowledge and skills in limited contexts and under direct supervision)
QFEmirates level 1
Basic
Employability in
occupations requiring
limited well-defined and
procedural skills or
programs to enable
occupational entry
 Administrator
 Assistant Operator
 Assistant Technician
 Entry Level
 Entry level operator
 Operator
 Abra Captain
 Administrator
 Cleaning Team
 Driver
 Helper
 Office and
Administration
 Office Support
 Operator
 Receptionist
203

Appendix 8: Employer responses to function verbs relating to specific occupations
Functions and Verbs Question Occupational functions - 3 jobs in organisation Key verbs of what employees do in these jobs
Doctoral degree (mastery of a highly specialized field of knowledge)
QFEmirates level 10
Employability in the
leadership of research and
critical change activity
 Analyst  Diagnose, Evaluate, Sell
 Consultant  Analyse, Investigate, Monitor
 Counsellor  Knows The Key Potential Of Students
 Department Managers  Direct, Manage, Plan
 Design Manager  Lead, Manage, Plan
 Digital Solutions Director  Diagnose, Rectify Coordinate, Facilitate, Direct, Evaluate
 Director Of Engineering, IT Manager  Not provided
 Director, Principal Partner  Direct, Lead, Manage
 Director  Manage, Lead
 Engineer  Analyse -Configure -Evaluate -Schedule
 Engineer  Administer
 Executive Chef  Administer, Forecast, Produce
 Field Editor  Assess, Analyse, Research, Evaluate, Direct
 Head Of Department  Direct, Lead, Develop
 Head Of Finance  Manage Three Core Functions Includes, Financial Control, Business
Control and the Commercial Finance Units.
 Head Of Research  Research, Analyse, Plan
 HR Recruitment Specialist  Identify, Conduct, Assess, Select
 Human Resources/Finance/Business Product Managers/Specialists  Design, Develop, Manage, Evaluate, Assess
 Management  Analyse, Assess, Commission, Control, Coordinate, Develop, Direct,
Document, Facilitate, Forecast, Identify, Investigate, Lead, Manage,
Plan, Supervise, Troubleshoot
 Manager  Audit
 Manager, Senior Manager  Manage, Control, Coordinate, Deliver, Plan
 Manager, Head Of Instructor, Head Of Accounts  Manage, Implement, Facilitate
 Partner  Sell, Sign Reports, Evaluate, Coach
 Partner  Report, Lead, Design
 Project Leader  Lead, Manage, Undertake
 Sales Director  Deliver, Sell, Service
 Sales Manager  Closing Targets, Building Relationships, Leading The Entire Team
 Section Manager  Control, Direct, Report
 Senior Economic Researcher  Lead, Research, Produce, Analyse, Forecast, Identify
 Senior Executive  Monitor, Calibrate, Contribute, Direct
204

 Supervise, Analyse, Implement, Service, Manage, Perform, Develop  General Manager, Client Servicing & Public Relations Director
 Trader/Sales/Research  Analyse, Carry Out
 University Professor  Manage, Analyse, Evaluate, Plan
 Vice President Logistic  Lead, Inspire, Monitor, Drive,
 Not provided  Biomedical Engineer, Medical Sales Executive, Manager
Masters degree (comprehensive highly specialized knowledge in a field of work, discipline or professional practice)
QFEmirates level 9
Higher Professional
professionals or leaders in
specialised fields
 Administrative Unit Manager  Organize, Supervise, Mobilise, Monitor
 Architect  Design, Implement, Inspect, Research, Plan, Supervise
 Assistant Manager  Deliver
 CEO  Control, Deliver, Direct, Manage, Organise
 CEO  Communicate, Deliver, Drive
 Designer  Design, Develop
 Director  Deliver, Implement, Facilitate
 Director Contract Logistics  Lead, Deliver, Design
 Editor  Deliver, Manage, Monitor
 Engineering Manager  Design
 ERP Specialist  Expert Oracle Knowledge
 Executive Manager  Plan, Review, Hire, Terminate, Sell, Evaluate
 Finance Manager  Troubleshoot, Plan, Fault-Find,
 HR Manager  Select, Plan, Lead
 HR Manager  Assess, Analyse, Coordinate, Facilitate, Prepare, Organise
 Management  Lead
 Manager, Senior Managers,  Design, Develop, Supervise
 Medical Doctor, Modeller, Design Engineers  Lead, Research, Plan, Organise, Schedule
 Producer  Estimate, Deliver, Supervise
 Sales Managers/Service Operation Leaders  Manage, Lead, Forecast, Build, Sell
 Senior Engineer  Design, Coordinate, Undertake
 Senior Fellow  Research, Analyse, Direct, Supervise, Lead
 Senior Accountant, Marketing Personnel, Senior Instructor  Research, Evaluate, Develop
205

Graduate Diploma (advanced specialist knowledge in a field of work or discipline and/or high level research, analysis and problem-solving skills)
QFEmirates level 8
Professional
Employability as autonomous
professionals and as
managers
 Accountant  Managing And Handling Accounts
 Administration Officer  Audit -Coordinate -Document -Manage - Report -Service
 Analyst & Consultant  Analyse, Assess, Diagnose, Evaluate, Conduct, Research, Test
 Architect  Design, Prepare, Perform
 Client Facing Consultant  Evaluate, Prepare, Produce
 Consultant  Deliver, Facilitate, Implement, Perform, Respond
 Consultant  Implement, Lead, Research
 Consultants  Direct, Assess, Evaluate
 Engineer, Quantity Surveyor  Analyse Attend Direct Estimate Implement Inspect
 Finance  Not provided
 Finance  Manage, Audit, Accounting
 Head Of Department  Analyse, Manage, Mobilize
 HR Manager  Identify, Specify, Monitor
 Human Resources  Calibrate, Report, Lead
 Instructors, Administration Professional, Accountant  Contribute, Administer, Regulate
 Lab Analyst, Trainer, Control Room Operator  Calibrate, Control, Analyse, Plan
 Manager - Marketing; Manager Accounting  Audit Compile, Control, Forecast, Investigate
 Marketing Coordinator  Organizing Events, Public Relations Skills
 Marketing Manager  Analyse, Develop, Plan
 Media Administrator  Administer, Monitor, Configure, Research
 Mechanical  Design
 Audit, Build, Carryout, Check, Configure, Assemble, Modify, Monitor,
Report, Schedule, Service, Supervise, Test, Troubleshoot, Verify
 Project Manager  Administer, Lead, Manage
 Quality Control Engineer  Control
 Recruitment Manager  Identify, Deliver, Forecast
 Rectify, Report, Verify, Specify, Organise, Provide, Facilitate  Admin & Finance Manager
 Research Officer  Research, Report
 Researcher  Research, Analyse, Investigate
 Senior Accounts Manager  Customer Oriented
 Senior Manager  Plan, Review, Coach, Sell, Evaluate, Schedule
 SRO  Analyse, Apply, Assemble, Assess, Attend, Carry Out, Check, Comply,
Control, Coordinate, Diagnose, Direct, Document, Estimate, Evaluate,
Forecast, Identify, Implement, Lead, Manage, Monitor, Perform,
Position, Operate, Report, Respond, Supervise, Undertake
 Supervisors, Senior, Semi Senior, Assistant Auditor, Secretary, HR, IT  Carry Out, Report, Administer, Evaluate
 Teacher  Administer, Analyse, Apply, Assess, Attend, Check, Compile, Conduct,
Deliver, Develop, Document, Evaluate, Facilitate, Lead, Manage,
Monitor, Plan, Prepare, Provide, Organise, Supervise
 Teacher  Teach
206

 Technology Specialist  Diagnose, Rectify, Coordinate, Facilitate
 Training Director  Analyse, Lead, Schedule
 Not provided  Manage, Counsel, Motivate
Bachelor degree (specialized factual and theoretical knowledge in a field of work or study)
QFEmirates level 7
Para-Professional and Higher
Technical
Employability at the upper
end of many technical
occupations, or in para-
professional and
management roles
 Admin  Administer, Report
 Automation Engineer, Instrumentation Engineer  Analyse, Commission, Control, Design, Diagnose, Fault-Fine, Identify,
Implement, Plan, Perform, Research, Supervise, Test, Troubleshoot,
Verify
 Clinical Specialists  Diagnose, Lead, Report, Monitor, Plan,
 Design, Operate, Research, Install, Maintain  Graphic Designer, Interactive Designer, Branding Designer
 Designer  Designing, Coordinating And Following Up
 Engineer  Design, Estimate, Undertake
 Factory Manager  Manager, Facilitate, Control
 Finance Director  Analyse, Verify, Lead
 Instructors, Administration Professionals  Deliver, Maintain, Document
 IT  Superior Coding Skills, Solving Technical Issues, Developing Applications
 IT, Engineering  Not provided
 Maintenance Technicians  Align, Assemble, Calibrate, Carry Out, Check, Commission, Comply,
Configure, Coordinate, Diagnose, Document, Evaluate, Fault-find,
Identify, Implement, Inspect, Install, Lead, Maintain, Mobilise, Monitor,
Plan, Perform, Position, Rectify, Repair, Report, Schedule, Service, Store,
Establish, Troubleshoot, Undertake, Use, Utilize, Verify
 Manager  Plan, Review, Coach, Manage, Schedule
 Research And Development Analyst  Analyse, Design, Develop, Regulate
 Senior Technician  Troubleshoot, Plan, Repair, Report
 Spacecraft Engineer  Supervise, Diagnose, Evaluate, Troubleshoot
 Test Procter  Control, Check, Compile
 Writer, Designer  Apply, Carry Out, Comply
207

Diploma (Advanced) (specialist body of knowledge of an occupational field)
QFEmirates level 6
Supervisory and Technical
developed and specialist
 Auditor  Audit, Lead,
 Electrical Technician  Assemble, Build, Calibrate, Carry Out, Commission, Construct,
Fabricate, Make, Mobilise, Perform, Produce, Report, Schedule, Store,
Supervise, Test, Troubleshoot, Utilise
 Engineer  Carry Out, Maintain, Test
 Engineers  Maintain - Perform - Supervise
 Event Coordinator  Coordinate, Deliver, Schedule
 Facility Management Executive  Supervise, Service, Overhaul, Fault-Find
 Facility Manager  Organize, Undertake, Maintain, Administer
 Foreman  Managing, Cooperating And Involving
 Instructors  Deliver, Perform, Produce
 IT  Not provided
 Maintenance Technician (Mechanical, Electrical, Instrumentation)  Assemble, Install, Inspect
 Mechanical  Supervise
 Oil & Gas Engineers, Power & Water Engineers  Lead, Manage, Organise, Plan, Operate
 Project Manager  Build, Carry Out, Manage, Plan, Perform, Supervise
 QA Manager  Evaluate, Identify, Troubleshoot
 Talent & Development Manager  Oversee Three Core Function In The HR, Recruitment & Selection,
Learning & Development And Performance Management
 Not provided  Execute, Sell, Prepare
Associate degree/diploma (comprehensive body of knowledge of an occupational field)
QFEmirates level 5
Highly Skilled
Employability as an
advanced craft-worker,
technician or administrative
operative, and/or in limited
supervisory roles
professional careers with
 Chef  Cook, Quality Control, Portion Size
 Engineer  Manage, Design, Program, Commission
 Finance  Not provided
 Flight Operations Engineer  Schedule, Troubleshoot, Analyse
 Healthcare Field Engineer  Diagnose, Repair, Operate, Service
 Instructor  Deliver, Perform, Produce
 IT  Configure, Investigate, Rectify
 Laboratory Technical  Research, Research
 Marketing Executive  Develop, Design, Monitor
 Office Manager  Administer, Check, Compile
 Officers  Analyse
 Receptionist  Service, Sell, Respond
 Senior Consultant  Report
 Senior Technician  Document, Diagnose, Perform, Regulate
 Supervisor  Cooperating, Supervision And Involving
 Tradesman  Build Construct Erect Fabricate Maintain Attend
 Warehouse Supervisor  Manage, Service, Coordinate
208

Certificate 4 (broad specialised knowledge and skills of an occupational field)
QFEmirates level 4
Skilled
Employability as a generalist
and/or lead teams
 Administrative  Maintain
 Administrator  Administer, Coordinate, Document
 Electrician, AC Technician, Plumber, Carpenter  Not provided
 Electrical & Mechanical Engineer  Trouble Shoot, Report,
 Electrician  Repair, Report, Fault-Find
 Engineer  Test, Troubleshoot, Repair
 Graduate  Prepare, Check, Compile, Conduct, Contribute,
 Information Technology  Evaluate, Regulates, Troubleshoot
 IT  Troubleshoot, Assemble, Configure
 Junior Instructor, Technician  Apply, Service, Regulate
 Office Assistant  Not provided
 Plumber  Repair
 Spacecraft Controller  Monitor, Conduct, Perform, Document, Contribute
 Technician  Install
 Technician  Overhaul, Rectify, Perform
 Technicians And Inspectors  Operate - Inspect - Repair
 Waiter  Service, Prepare, Sell
 Worker  Not provided
Certificate 3 (broad range of factual and procedural knowledge of a field of work or discipline)
QFEmirates level 3
Semi-skilled
semi-skilled vocational
occupations
 Assistant Technician  Contribute, Prepare, Provide
 Cook  Not provided
 Examinations Service  Administer, Attend, Carry Out, Check, Compile, Conduct, Control,
Coordinate, Deliver, Document, Implement, Inspect, Investigate,
Maintain, Manage, Monitor, Prepare, Organise, Regulate, Report,
Schedule, Supervise
 Executive Assistant  Conduct, Perform, Administer, Organise, Prepare
 Guard  Protect
 HR Officer  Manage The Day To Day Activities Of The Employee Relation & Payroll
Function
 Senior Operator  Fabricate, Make, Test
209

Certificate 2 (general, factual knowledge of a defined field of work or discipline)
QFEmirates level 2
General
roles requiring routine general
skills
 Admin Assistant  Carry Out, Document, Implement, Operate
 Administrator  Administer, Organise, Document, Operate
 Co-Coordinator  Test, Coordinate, Document, Administer
 Document Controller  Compile, Coordinate, Document
 Drivers, Helpers  Schedule, Undertake, Maintain
 Guest Services Executive  Smile, Greet, Show Around
 Operator  Produce, Use, Utilise
 Quality Analyst  Check, Document, Evaluates
 Service Crew  Not provided
Certificate 1 (elementary knowledge and skills in limited contexts and under direct supervision)
QFEmirates level 1
Basic
Employability in occupations
requiring limited well-defined
and procedural skills or
programs to enable
occupational entry
 Abra Captain  Drive, Sales, Serve Cold Towels
 Administrator  Administration Office Work
 Cleaner, Steward  Not provided
 Helper  Undertake, Utilize, Prepare
 Operator  Carry Out, Operate, Store
210

211
Appendices
Appendix 9: VET providers and key Government bodies
VET providers
The Commission for Academic Accreditation provides a list of licensed higher education
institutions that includes accredited tertiary programs offered by these institutions, including
those offering higher level VET programs. In the UAE, there are currently:
 73 licensed higher education institutions
 589 accredited tertiary programs
 10 licensed higher education institutions offering degree and vocational programs i.e.
Associate Degree, Higher Diploma, Diploma and Professional Certificate.
For a list of licensed higher education institutions, including those that offer vocational
programs, go to:
Appendix 10: CAA-licensed higher education institutions in the UAE (p. 216)
Although obtaining a comprehensive list of vocational, technical and professional education
providers in the UAE proved difficult, the search for large providers of VET programs in the UAE
located the following providers:
 Abu Dhabi Vocational Education & Training Institute (ADVETI) is responsible for the Al Jazirah
Institute of Science and Technology in Abu Dhabi, Al Jaheli Institute of Science and
Technology in Al Ain, Baynounah Institute of Science and Technology in Al Gharbia, and
Al Reef Institute of Logistics and Applied Technology in Al Shahama.
 Institute of Applied Technology (IAT)is responsible for Al Ain International Aviation
Academy, Abu Dhabi Polytechnic, Applied Technology High Schools (see below), and
Fatima College of Health Sciences
 Four (4) Applied Technology Higher Schools (ATHS) with campuses in Abu Dhabi (male and
female campuses), Al Ain (male and female campuses), Dubai, Fujairah and Ras Al
Khaimah.
 Four (4) Secondary Technical Schools (STS) in Abu Dhabi, Al Ain, Fujairah and Ras Al
Khaimah, some of which are located in the ATHS campuses. Five new campuses are
planned to be built in Abu Dhabi, Al Mafraa and Ajman.100
 Sharjah Institute of Technology offers foundation courses, BTEC Higher National Diplomas
and National Diploma programmes certified by the UK’s Edexcel and other vocational
awards certified by the London City and Guilds body.101 In August 2012, ownership and
management of the institute was transferred from the Sharjah Chamber of Commerce
and Industry to Abu Dhabi Centre for Technical and Vocational Training (ACTVET).102
100 The National (2012, July 2012). Technical schools seek a third of Emirati pupils. Retrieved from
http://www.thenational.ae/news/uae-news/education/technical-schools-seek-a-third-of-emirati-pupils
101 British Council (2013). Other Vocational Providers. Retrieved January 30, 2013 from
102 Sharjah Institute of Technology (2012, August 16). Sharjah Institute of Technology merges with Abu Dhabi’s
ACTVET. Retrieved from
http://www.sit.ac.ae/english/News.aspx?Menu=aboutsit&NewsSelect=981IndexAug%202012_1

212
Appendices
 The National Institute for Vocational Education also offers BTEC National Diplomas and
Higher National Diplomas in several fields that are certified by UK’s Edexcel103 as well as
preparation for work programmes.
 The Vocational Education Development Centre (VEDC) provides young Emiratis (aged
between 14 and 23 years) who do not graduate from high school an opportunity to gain
higher school equivalency through trade and work experience. 104 The Centre is located
near Al Shamka in Abu Dhabi and is made up of three schools – Foundation School,
Vocational Training School and Leadership and Military Training School.
The British Council identified three providers in the non-Federal sector (licensed by CAA) that
not only offer both higher education programs and programs in “truly vocational areas
directed at particular fields of employment”.105:
 Emirates Academy of Hospitality Management offers Associate, Bachelor and Masters
degrees in Hospitality Management to produce graduates for the expanding tourism
industry in Dubai and the region.
 Al Khawarizmi International College offers Associate Degrees in computer studies, business
administration and banking, as well as a number of professional certificate programmes in
computing
 American University of Sharjah offers academic and vocational programmes across Arts
and Sciences, Engineering, Architecture and Design and Business and Management.
The search also found many colleges, institutes, schools, training centres and academies in
the UAE that are not licensed by CAA or offering programmes accredited by the CAA. The
Director General of Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA) informed the
NQA that there are 846 private providers in Dubai and 450 of these providers are located in
the Dubai Freezone. There are currently 66 training providers in Abu Dhabi that are licensed
by the Abu Dhabi Centre for Technical and Vocational Education and Training (ACTVET).106
For a list containing some of these providers, go to:
Appendix 11: Selected colleges, institutes, training centres and academies in the UAE (p. 218)
103 National Institute for Vocational Education (NIVE). Programmes. Retrieved February 3, 2013, from,
http://www.nive.gov.ae/CMS/Pages/En/programsen.aspx
104 Vocational Education Development Centre (2013). About VEDC. Retrieved February 3, 2013, from
http://www.vedc.ac.ae/about-us/
105 British Council (2013). Other Vocational Providers. Retrieved January 30, 2013 from
106 Abu Dhabi Centre for Technical and Vocational Education and Training, Licensed Training Centres,
Retrieved January 30, 2013 from http://www.actvet.ac.ae/en/licensing/LicensingTrainingCentre.aspx

213
Appendices
Key Government bodies
The following key Government bodies are driving the development of UAE’s VET sector.
National Qualifications Authority
On the 23 August 2010, President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan issued
Federal Decree No. 1 ‘Establish and Maintain the National Qualifications Authority’. The
Federal decree gives effect to:
 the establishment of a National Qualifications Authority (NQA) to build UAE’s education
and training system (including vocational, technical and professional education and
training) in a way that improves the system’s relationship with the economy and labour
market
 NQA working with related entities to develop a national qualifications framework for the
UAE, which is an instrument for the classification of qualifications as well as a unifying and
singular system and reference point for all national qualifications
 the development of quality assurance processes for higher, general and vocational
training to deliver outcomes that assist the UAE to keep pace with scientific and
technological progress and meet its economic and social development needs.
Commission for Academic Accreditation (CAA)
The Commission for Academic Accreditation (CAA) is a Federal Government body
established in 1999 that is responsible for licensing private universities and accrediting their
programmes for the UAE. It is a Federal regulatory quality assurance body of the UAE Ministry
of Higher Education and Scientific Research (MOHESR). The Commission’s mission is as follows:
The Commission for Academic Accreditation is the Federal Government's Quality
Assurance Agency charged with promoting educational excellence across diverse
institutions of higher learning in the UAE. Through licensure of post-secondary
educational institutions, and accreditation of individual programs, the Commission
strives to assure high quality education, consistent with international standards.107
CAA’s Standards for License and Accreditation 2011 indicate that colleges (as one type of
institution) are the main providers of vocational programmes. CAA defines colleges as:
A smaller institution of higher education typically focused on undergraduate or
vocational education, although some colleges offer a limited range of graduate
programs. College is also a term for a unit within a university, synonymous with a
Faculty, such as the College of Business Administration or the Faculty of Business
Administration.108
107 107 Commission for Academic Accreditation. CAA mission. Retrieved February 3, from,
https://www.caa.ae/caa/DesktopDefault.aspx?tabindex=1&tabid=60
108 Commission for Academic Accreditation. Standards of Licensure and Accreditation 2011. Retrieved
February 3, from, https://www.caa.ae/caa/DesktopDefault.aspx?tabindex=5&tabid=12, p. 15

214
Appendices
The Standards also state that institutions are expected to design, deliver and review their
programmes in accordance with the QFEmirates:
In its activity of program accreditation the Commission has always worked to ensure
that academic programs are appropriate to the level of the qualification, be it
certificate, associate, bachelors, graduate certificate/diploma, masters or doctorate.
This is currently judged by international experts in the fields of study. This approach is to
be further enhanced by the introduction of the UAE Qualifications Framework (UAE-QF)
which is to be published and disseminated to the educational community. The UAE-QF
will give more transparency to the possible pathways for students to progress from one
award to the next across the spectrum of qualifications in post-secondary education
and vocational training. Institutions will be expected to design, deliver and review their
programs of study in accordance with the UAE-QF’s descriptive criteria associated with
each level of the qualifications framework.109
Abu Dhabi Centre for Technical and Vocational Education and Training (ACTVET)
In August 2010, H.H General Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu
Dhabi, Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces and Chairman of the
Executive Council, under Resolution No. 49/2010 initiated the establishment of ACTVET. As
stated on ACTVET’s website:110
ACTVET is committed to establishing policies and standards that effectively regulate
technical and vocational educational institutions in the emirate of Abu Dhabi. Our goal
is to increase the number of skilled young Emiratis employed in rewarding positions, with
opportunities for life-long learning and personal development.
In addition to regulating technical and vocational educational institutions, ACTVET is
also responsible for the licensing of trainers and tutors that meet the demands of the
UAE’s local market. It does this by: providing guidance and assistance to the Abu Dhabi
government and private institutions on technical and vocational education and
training; undertaking original educational research in coordination with Abu Dhabi
Education Council; and developing strategies and mutually beneficial partnerships with
public and private education companies and bodies, as well as with training institutes.
Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA)
The Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA) is a regulatory authority of the
Government of Dubai overseeing the direction and quality of private education and learning
in Dubai. As stated on the Authority’s website:
Dubai offers a variety of training institutions and continuing education programmes,
making it a regional destination for professional development. There are over 250
approved providers offering programmes in different fields of expertise.
109 Commission for Academic Accreditation. Standards of Licensure and Accreditation 2011. Retrieved
February 3, from, https://www.caa.ae/caa/DesktopDefault.aspx?tabindex=5&tabid=12, p. 3
110 Abu Dhabi Centre for Technical and Vocational Education and Training (2013). Overview. Retrieved January
29, 2013, from http://www.actvet.ac.ae/en/About/default.aspx

215
Appendices
KHDA’s role is to oversee the continuing education sector and its growth in Dubai. In
addition, KHDA entities such as the National Institute for Vocational Education (NIVE)
and Tamkeen – which supports the visually-impaired – both actively participate in
providing high quality training for UAE nationals. NIVE uses its close links with industry to
make sure its students’ skills match the needs of Dubai.
In the same way, the Emiratisation National Development Programme (ENDP) nurtures
contacts in the private and public sectors to help nationals find the starting point they
need for their career path.
In addition to these, Dubai offers a wide range of other training institutes – from foreign
languages and computer training to engineering, banking and finance training.

216
Appendices
Appendix 10: CAA-licensed higher education institutes in the UAE111
Institution Offers HE + VET programs
ABU DHABI POLYTECHNIC 
ABU DHABI SCHOOL OF MANAGEMENT
ABU DHABI UNIVERSITY
ABUDHABI VOCATIONAL EDUCATION AND TRAINING INSTITUTE 
AJMAN UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
AL AIN INTERNATIONAL AVIATION ACADEMY
AL AIN UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
AL GHURAIR UNIVERSITY
AL HOSN UNIVERSITY
AL KHAWARIZMI INTERNATIONAL COLLEGE 
AMERICAN COLLEGE OF DUBAI
AMERICAN UNIVERSITY IN DUBAI
AMERICAN UNIVERSITY IN THE EMIRATES
AMERICAN UNIVERSITY OF SHARJAH 
BOSTON UNIVERSITY INSTITUTE FOR DENTAL RESEARCH & EDUCATION
BRITISH UNIVERSITY IN DUBAI
CANADIAN UNIVERSITY OF DUBAI
CITY UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF AJMAN
COMPUTER COLLEGE 
DUBAI MEDICAL COLLEGE FOR GIRLS
DUBAI PHARMACY COLLEGE
DUBAI POLICE ACADEMY
DUBAI SCHOOL OF GOVERNMENT
DUKE UNIVERSITY, THE FUQUA SCHOOL OF BUSINESS
EMIRATES ACADEMY OF HOSPITALITY MANAGEMENT 
EMIRATES AVIATION COLLEGE
EMIRATES CANADIAN UNIVERSITY COLLEGE
EMIRATES COLLEGE FOR ADVANCED EDUCATION
EMIRATES COLLEGE FOR MANAGEMENT AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY 
EMIRATES COLLEGE OF TECHNOLOGY
EMIRATES INSTITUTE FOR BANKING AND FINANCIAL STUDIES
EUROPEAN INTERNATIONAL COLLEGE
EUROPEAN UNIVERSITY COLLEGE (Previously Nicolas & Asp University
College)
FATIMA COLLEGE OF HEALTH SCIENCES
FUJAIRAH COLLEGE
GULF MEDICAL UNIVERSITY
HAMDAN BIN MOHAMMED E-UNIVERSITY
HIGHER COLLEGES OF TECHNOLOGY
HORIZON INTERNATIONAL FLIGHT ACADEMY, AL AIN
IMAM MALIK COLLEGE FOR ISLAMIC SHARIA AND LAW
INSEAD - THE BUSINESS SCHOOL FOR THE WORLD, ABU DHABI
111 Commission for Academic Accreditation (2011). Standards for Licensure and Accreditation,
https://www.caa.ae/caa/images/Standards2011.pdf

217
Appendices
Institution Offers HE + VET programs
INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT TECHNOLOGY-DUBAI
ISLAMIC AND ARABIC STUDIES COLLEGE-DUBAI
ITTIHAD UNIVERSITY (ON PROBATION, WITH NO NEW ADMISSIONS)
JUMEIRA UNIVERSITY
KHALIFA BIN ZAYED AIR COLLEGE
KHALIFA UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY AND RESEARCH
MASDAR INSTITUTE OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY
NAVAL COLLEGE
NEW YORK INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
NEW YORK UNIVERSITY
PARIS SORBONNE UNIVERSITY, ABU DHABI
PETROLEUM INSTITUTE
POLICE COLLEGE, ABU DHABI 
POLICE SCIENCES ACADEMY- SHARJAH
RAS AL KHAIMAH MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES UNIVERSITY
ROCHESTER INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY- DUBAI
ROYAL COLLEGE OF SURGEONS IN IRELAND- DUBAI
SHARJAH INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
SKYLINE UNIVERSITY COLLEGE
SYSCOMS COLLEGE 
THE LOGISTICS ACADEMY 
TUFTS UNIVERSITY FRIEDMAN SCHOOL- RAK
UNITED ARAB EMIRATES UNIVERSITY
UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF MOTHER AND FAMILY SCIENCES
UNIVERSITY OF DUBAI
UNIVERSITY OF JAZEERA
UNIVERSITY OF MODERN SCIENCES
UNIVERSITY OF SAINT JOSEPH
UNIVERSITY OF SHARJAH
UNIVERSITY OF STRATHCLYDE BUSINESS SCHOOL- UAE
UNIVERSITY OF WOLLONGONG IN DUBAI
VOCATIONAL EDUCATION DEVELOPMENT CENTER
ZAYED UNIVERSITY

218
Appendices
Appendix 11: Selected colleges, institutes, training centres and
academies in the UAE112
Name Location
ABU DHABI CIVIL SERVICE COLLEGE ABU DHABI
ABU DHABI FILM ACADEMY ABU DHABI
ACADEMIC CENTER INSTITUTE RAK RAS AL KHAIMAH
ACADEMY OF FINANCIAL AND BANKING STUDIES SHARJAH
AJMAN EDUCATION INSTITUTE AJMAN
AJMAN EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTE AJMAN
AL HILAL EDUCATION CENTRE SHARJAH
ARAB WATER ACADEMY ABU DHABI
ARABIAN CHILD DUBAI
ASHRIDGE BUSINESS SCHOOL ABU DHABI ABU DHABI
ATIKA LANGUAGE SCHOOL DUBAI
ATLAS EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTE DUBAI DUBAI
AYURVEDA MEDICAL COLLEGE ABU DHABI ABU DHABI
BAHERA LANGUAGE SCHOOL DUBAI
BICE COOKING SCHOOL DUBAI DUBAI
BOLTON COLLEGE ABU DHABI ABU DHABI
CAMBRIDGE COLLEGE INTERNATIONAL DUBAI DUBAI
CAMPUS EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTE DUBAI
CBL INTERNATIONAL DUBAI LAW SCHOOL DUBAI
CONFUCIUS INSTITUTE ABU DHABI ABU DHABI
CONFUCIUS INSTITUTE DUBAI DUBAI
COSMOS EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTE DUBAI DUBAI
COSMOS EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTE SHARJAH SHARJAH
DUBAI PETROLEUM TRAINING CENTER DUBAI
DUBAI REAL ESTATE INSTITUTE DUBAI
DUBAI SCHOOL OF GOVERNMENT DUBAI
ECOLE POLYTECHNIQUE FEDERALE DE LAUSANNE RAK RAS AL KHAIMAH
EMIRATES AVIATION COLLEGE LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT DUBAI
EMIRATES FLYING SCHOOL DUBAI
EMIRATES SIMULATION ACADEMY ABU DHABI
ESNAAD ABU DHABI MARITIME COLLEGE ABU DHABI
EXPERTS INTERNATIONAL DUBAI DUBAI
FALCON COLLEGE OF HOTEL MANAGEMENT AND TOURISM ABU DHABI
FUJAIRAH AVIATION ACADEMY FUJAIRAH
FUTURE LEADERSHIP ACADEMY DUBAI
GLOBAL EDUCATION MISSION RAK RAS AL KHAIMAH
112 UAE College list (2012), http://www.dubaifaqs.com/colleges-list-uae.php

219
Appendices
Name Location
GULF INSTITUTE FOR INTERNATIONAL LAW DUBAI
GULF MEDICAL COLLEGE AJMAN
HUMAN RELATIONS INSTITUTE DUBAI DUBAI
IBN MAJID INTERNATIONAL CENTER RAS AL KHAIMAH
IMPERIAL COLLEGE DUBAI DUBAI
INDIAN AVIATION ACADEMY UAE RAS AL KHAIMAH
INDIAN INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT AHMEDABAD DUBAI DUBAI
INJAZAT INSTITUTE ABU DHABI
INSTITUTE FOR INTERNATIONAL LAW DUBAI DUBAI
INSTITUTE FOR SAFETY AND SECURITY DUBAI DUBAI
INTERNATIONAL CENTRE FOR CULINARY ARTS DUBAI DUBAI
KHAIMAH LANGUAGE SCHOOL DUBAI
LONDON COLLEGE OF FASHION DUBAI DUBAI
MANHATTAN FILM ACADEMY DUBAI DUBAI
MANIPAL UNIVERSITY MEDICAL COLLEGE ABU DHABI ABU DHABI
MAYO COLLEGE ABU DHABI ABU DHABI
MY CAMPUS EDUCATIONAL CENTER ABU DHABI ABU DHABI
MY CAMPUS EDUCATIONAL CENTER AL AIN AL AIN
MY CAMPUS EDUCATIONAL CENTER DUBAI DUBAI
MY CAMPUS EDUCATIONAL GROUP DUBAI
MY CAMPUS PROFESSIONAL TRAINING ACADEMY DUBAI
NASDAQ DUBAI ACADEMY DUBAI
NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF FASHION TECHNOLOGY UAE DUBAI
NBAD ACADEMY ABU DHABI
NBAD ACADEMY DUBAI DUBAI
PEARL ACADEMY OF FASHION DUBAI DUBAI
SAE INSTITUTE ABU DHABI ABU DHABI
SEJONG INSTITUTE DUBAI DUBAI
TRANSGUARD EDUCATION ACADEMY DUBAI
UN PPP SCHOOL ABU DHABI ABU DHABI
VOCATIONAL EDUCATION DEVELOPMENT CENTRE ABU DHABI
WISAM LANGUAGE SCHOOL DUBAI
ZAFIRAH LANGUAGE SCHOOL DUBAI
ZINA LANGUAGE SCHOOL DUBAI

220
Appendices
Appendix 12: Critical, sustainable and attractive jobs for UAE Nationals113
No. Occupation
Vocational
qualifications
1 Accountants
2 Accounting and bookkeeping clerks 
3 Accounting associate professionals 
4 Administrative and executive secretaries 
5 Advertising and marketing professionals
6 Advertising and public relations managers
7 Aged care services managers
8 Air conditioning and refrigeration mechanics 
9 Air traffic controllers 
10 Air traffic safety electronics technicians 
11 Aircraft engine mechanics and repairers 
12 Aircraft pilots and related associate professionals 
13 Announcers on radio, television and other media 
14 Aquaculture and fisheries production managers
15 Archivists and curators
16 Authors and related writers 
17 Bank tellers and related clerks 
18 Biologists, botanists, zoologists and related professionals
19 Building architects
20 Business services agents not elsewhere classified 
21 Business services and administration managers not elsewhere classified
22 Buyers/Purchasing Specialists 
23 Carpenters and joiners 
24 Cartographers and surveyors
25 Chemical engineering technicians 
26 Chemical engineers
27 Chemical processing plant controllers 
28 Child care services managers 
29 Civil engineering technicians 
30 Civil engineers
31 Commercial sales representatives 
32 Computer network and systems technicians 
33 Conference and event planners 
34 Construction managers
35 Construction supervisors 
36 Crane, hoist and related plant operators 
37 Creative and performing artists not elsewhere classified 
38 Credit and loans officers 
39 Dieticians and nutritionists

221
Appendices
No. Occupation
Vocational
qualifications
40 Draughtspersons 
41 Economists
42 Education managers (e.g. Principals)
43 Education methods specialists
44 Electrical engineering technicians
45 Electrical engineers
46 Electronics engineering technicians 
47 Electronics engineers
48 Engineering professionals not elsewhere classified
49 Environmental and occupational health and hygiene professionals
50 Environmental and occupational health inspectors and associates 
51 Environmental engineers
52 Environmental protection professionals
53 Film, stage and related directors and producers 
54 Finance managers
55 Financial analysts
56 Financial and insurance services branch managers
57 Financial and investment advisers
58 Fitness and recreation instructors and program leaders 
59 Freight handlers 
60 Gallery, museum and library technicians 
61 Generalist medical practitioners
62 Geologists and geophysicists
63 Government licensing officials 
64 Graphic and multimedia designers
65 Health associate professionals not elsewhere classified
66 Health care assistants 
67 Health professionals not elsewhere classified
68 Health services managers
69 Hotel managers 
70 Human resource managers
71 Industrial and production engineers
72 Information and communications technology operations technicians 
73 Information and communications technology sales professionals
74 Information and communications technology service managers
75 Interior designers and decorators 
76 Journalists 
77 Lawyers
78 Legal and related associate professionals 
79 Legal professionals not elsewhere classified
80 Legal secretaries 
81 Librarians and related information professionals 
82 Library clerks 

222
Appendices
No. Occupation
Vocational
qualifications
83 Locomotive engine drivers 
84 Management and organization analysts
85 Managing directors and chief executives
86 Manufacturing supervisors 
87 Mathematicians, actuaries and statisticians
88 Mechanical engineering technicians 
89 Mechanical engineers
90 Medical and pathology laboratory technicians 
91 Medical secretaries 
92 Metal production process controllers 
93 Mining engineers, metallurgists and related professionals
94 Nursing associate professionals 
95 Nursing professionals
96 Office supervisors 
97 Other artistic and cultural associate professionals 
98 Other language teachers
99 Paramedical practitioners
100 Personnel and careers professionals
101 Petroleum and natural gas refining plant operators 
102 Pharmacists
103 Photographers 
104 Physical and engineering science technicians not elsewhere classified 
105 Plasterers 
106 Plumbers and pipe fitters 
107 Policy administration professionals
108 Policy and planning managers
109 Power production plant operators 
110 Primary school teachers
111 Print finishing and binding workers 
112 Product and garment designers 
113 Professional services managers not elsewhere classified 
114 Psychologists
115 Public relations professionals
116 Railway brake, signal and switch operators 
117 Real estate agents and property managers 
118 Regulatory government associate professionals not elsewhere classified 
119 Research and development managers
120 Retail and wholesale trade managers 
121 Sales and marketing managers
122 Secondary education teachers
123 Senior government officials
124 Senior officials of special-interest organizations
125 Services managers not elsewhere classified 

223
Appendices
No. Occupation
Vocational
qualifications
126 Ships’ deck officers and pilots 
127 Social welfare managers
128 Social work and counselling professionals
129 Social work associate professionals 
130 Sociologists, anthropologists and related professionals
131 Software and applications developers and analysts not elsewhere classified
132 Special needs teachers
133 Specialist medical practitioners
134 Sports coaches, instructors and officials 
135 Statistical, finance and insurance clerks 
136 Statistical, mathematical and related associate professionals 
137 Stock clerks 
138 Supply, distribution and related managers
139 Survey and market research interviewers 
140 Systems administrators 
141 Systems analysts
142 Teachers’ aides 
143 Teaching professionals not elsewhere classified
144 Telecommunications engineering technicians 
145 Telecommunications engineers
146 Town and traffic planners
147 Training and staff development professionals 
148 Travel guides 
149 University and higher education teachers
150 Veterinarians
151 Veterinary technicians and assistants 
152 Visual artists 
153 Vocational education teachers 
154 Web and multimedia developers 
155 Welders and flamecutters 

224
Appendices
Appendix 13: Extracts from article - Emiratisation: The way forward?114
Two challenges
There are challenges on two fronts: how to meet young Emiratis’ high, often unrealistic,
expectations; and how to convince expatriates on generous salary packages that they have a
responsibility to assist in a programme of which the success will most likely leave them redundant.
The Emirati community is a tight-knit network of families and allegiances and until recently who you
were or knew was reflected in your position within the public service. Gaining access to this tight
circle of contacts and inside knowledge of how the government works, whom to turn to and how
to get things done, are some of the advantages of hiring Emiratis, according to HSBC’s regional
head of corporate sustainability, Ammar Shams.
“Emiratisation for any company is a business decision, not a corporate social responsibility,” Shams
told INSEAD Knowledge. “If you want to enter a market you have to invest in that market”. That is
not an inexpensive commitment. Fresh out of university, inexperienced Emiratis can command a
starting salary of more than AED 20,000 (US$5,450) a month, with the expectation of rapid
promotion.
Investing in self-reliance
Yet the image of the rich Arab with no need for a proper job no longer holds water as the
government looks to its youth to create a strong self-reliant nation. Instead of continuing to hand
out payments and subsidies to meet the developing needs of its expanding population, the
government today is investing money on education, leadership training and entrepreneurial
programmes.
Island of stability
Moves are also underway to fast-track the country’s Emiratisation process, initiated a decade ago.
In early June the Crown Prince, Mohammed bin Zayed bin Sultan al Nahyan, issued a decree
giving the public service three months to find employment for 6,000 Emiratis who have recently
completed vocational training with the Abu Dhabi Tatween Council (ADTC), a government body
set up six years ago to ensure every Emirati job seeker finds a job.
Its success to date has been largely confined to the public sector, where UAE nationals now
account for 60-70 percent of the workforce compared to just 4-5 percent of the private sector, a
figure the government is also determined to increase.
In May, the nation’s Minister of Labour, Saqr Ghobash, told a government forum that with double-
digit unemployment and another 100,000-200,000 people entering the labour market in the next 10
years, there was “a need to create an additional 10,000-20,000 jobs a year for nationals in the
private sector”.
Top-up scheme
In preparation, the government has set aside AED 440 million to help train and “top up” the salaries
of Emiratis hired in non-government positions.
Increasing salaries may be a start, but there are other challenges that come from forcing
businesses to take on Emiratis who may not be educated or experienced enough for the job,
prompting both Emiratis and expatriate managers to ponder whether the fast-tracking of the
programme could lead to its undoing.
114 New Knowledge (2011, July 25). Emiratisation: The way forward? http://knowledge.insead.edu/economics-
politics/emiratisation-the-way-forward-1346

225
Appendices
“We need to find work for young Emiratis to keep them motivated and to create a strong nation,”
says one Emirati director of an Abu Dhabi government health services agency, declining to be
named given the sensitivity of the issue. “But we need to have the best people working in the jobs.
Before they take on the roles, we need to train our young people to educate them and ensure
they want to be trained and are prepared to learn the job”.
Young Emiratis, too, say that while companies can be forced to take on extra nationals they can’t
be forced to accept them. Amnah bin Bahar, a trainee commercial manager, says there is
already a feeling among Emiratis that private-sector companies are going through the motions,
filling quotas rather than offering Emiratis proper training and on-the-job-experience. “While it’s
good to have an advantage on getting a job, there is a downside in how you are treated once
you’re in the position,” she says.
Positions temporary
Stephan Schubert, Affiliated Professor of Strategy at INSEAD’s Abu Dhabi campus, says it is time
foreign businesses reassessed their attitude to Emiratisation and realised their positions within the
country were always going to be temporary. “The definition of Emiratisation depends on where
you’re sitting,” he notes. “Multinational companies tend to look at it as a tax you have to pay for
working in the region. [But] if you are in the public sector you will view it as a priority, something that
must be done to build the nation. It is empowering nationals to run the country”.
In the past, Emiratis were promoted largely on their name and family network, but this is changing.
“By promoting nationals based on merit Abu Dhabi is becoming a benchmark for civil service in
the region and beyond”.
In the private sector, however, a low retention rate is hindering the Emiratisation process. A 2010
research paper by the United Arab Emirates University found many private-sector companies
complained they went through the expense of training Emirati staff and sending them on
secondments only to have them leave for better-paid jobs in the public sector.
A lack of career progression, insensitivity to religious customs and dress codes, and the absence of
a mentoring culture were the most frequently cited reasons for nationals resigning their posts, while
a reluctance to work long hours and unrealistic expectations of quick promotions were also factors
in the high percentage of Emiratis who left their jobs.
Multinational companies, according to the research, often preferred to take on candidates who
have strong dependency links with the employer through visa sponsorship or the need to make a
living.
Expat managers complained that Emiratis had problems with work ethics and did not show they
were serious about work. Managers also failed to understand the intervention of family members
on behalf of employees relating to petty issues like workspace or reasons to shorten work hours.
On the other hand, Emiratis said many organisations had not seriously tried to integrate nationals
into their workforces.
Banking sector success
One exception is the banking industry, which has achieved 29 percent Emiratisation largely driven
by laws requiring specific quotas and growth rates for national employment. But outside the sector,
companies complain that rules and regulations regarding Emiratisation quotas are changing and
not uniformly enforced. “The problem with quotas is that the private sector is forced to take on
Emiratis who are not ready but are expecting to take on positions they are not qualified and
experienced for,” Schubert says. With the cream of the crop preferring to take on better paid and
more prestigious positions in the public sector, the private sector is left with the less qualified, less
motivated workers.

226
Appendices
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