The Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research is instituting an information gathering scheme aimed at the creation of a “data warehouse”. Details of students from the three federal universities, Zayed University, UAE University, and the Higher Colleges of Technology will be recorded and compared against the stated needs of employers. The ultimate goal is to determine where the supply of graduates falls short of the needs of industry, and to increase university course offerings accordingly. Specifically, there appears to be a shortfall in the number of graduates in the fields of media, health care, applied sciences, and humanities.
At the heart of the Ministry’s initiative is the push for Emiratisation throughout the industries of the UAE. While some sectors, such as banking and telecoms, have enjoyed relative success, others have faltered. The concentration of Emiratis in certain industries reflects the types of degrees earned by graduates. Many college students are choosing to pursue business or finance degrees, which is understandable considering that they offer the highest earning and promotion potential.
The fact that so many young men and women have high ambitions is laudable, but the country has needs beyond the world of finance. However, it will be difficult to persuade students to follow different degree options so long as earning potential is the determining factor in career choice, and the rewards in one industry are higher than those in others.
Emiratis are outnumbered in the workplace five to one. They are given preference in hiring and promotion, but their numbers are small compared to the availability of jobs. Given the demand for educated, qualified nationals, it is only natural that they gravitate to where the best money is.
The second difficulty is more an issue of the current climate. There is pressure on young men and women to earn the most money, drive the best cars, and have the biggest houses. There is also a misconception among many university graduates — throughout the world, not just in the Emirates — that the main reason one pursues higher education is to get a good job. But university education is not, first and foremost, job training. Students should be encouraged to pursue courses that interest them and challenge them intellectually, rather than merely preparing them for a future career. That can come later.
However, it is essential for the future of the country that universities provide industry with graduates of the right education and calibre. Merely providing the necessary courses will not be sufficient. The professions that currently find themselves short of able Emirati graduates will have to do considerably more to make themselves attractive, in terms of salary and career structure. If, for instance, the nation needs more and better Emirati teachers — and it does, desperately — teaching as a career will have to appeal to the best students. Graduates are no different than anyone else: they will act in their own best interests.