From health care to hospitality, financial services to furniture design, understanding technology and artificial intelligence will be essential to school leavers, whatever their plan for embarking on the working world, human resources experts say.
Speaking to The National about current and future job trends, Jennifer Campori, managing director of recruitment company Charterhouse, said the three sectors to watch are data science, analytics and AI.
Ms Campori stressed, however, that as AI and tech innovation are evolving so quickly, it is important to look for courses and institutions that provide the right support and environment to foster continuous learning – and that may not necessarily translate into starting with a degree.
“I spoke to a client today who has just placed a candidate in a very senior role within technology and they're very focused on cryptocurrency, and they are a very well-known brand, and the individual doesn't have a degree,” said Ms Campori. A willingness to learn can be more important than qualifications, she added.
Ms Campori, who comes from the US but has been in the UAE for more than 21 years, said pupils and students are also increasingly looking for security beyond academic rankings. She said an open and welcoming community is important, as well as safety, with many students and parents closely monitoring global tension and geopolitical issues.
“I wouldn't have said it would have been an issue before but I think [it is] now, particularly in the US,” Ms Campori said. “I might feel uncomfortable [studying in the US] as a non-US citizen.”
Driving business
Recent findings from the World Economic Forum's The Future of Jobs Report published in January showed that 60 per cent of employers expect 'broadening digital access' – for example, through upskilling and reskilling staff at work to improve digital competencies – to transform their business more than any other trend.
When asked which technology trends would be driving business transformation over the next five years, 86 per cent said AI and information processing technology.
Recent findings released by QS World University Rankings showed the UAE had climbed to sixth place in an international league table of most improved countries for quality of university subjects offered, including Ajman University's data science and artificial intelligence course which entered the top 100 for the first time.
Daniel Kahn, senior insights specialist at QS, told The National, that this reflects the country’s commitment to digital transformation. “If universities and businesses collaborate more closely to ensure skills development aligns with industry needs, the UAE’s investment in digital transformation will be well-positioned to deliver long-term economic impact,” he said.
Choose wisely
Sarah Brooks, managing director of HR consultancy Fikrah HR, has been in the human resources industry for more than two decades. She told The National the best advice she could offer pupils planning their career beyond choosing the right academic institution is to get experience.
“Start working as soon as possible, undertake an internship, even an unpaid one in a position that's not related to your interests, as it all helps you learn about work, ethics, develops interpersonal skills, leadership, time management and many other skills,” said Ms Brooks.