ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates, May 6th 2010 – On Tuesday May 4th a group of key stakeholders from the UAE’s education and training sectors met in Abu Dhabi, along with education professionals from the UK, to discuss how to provide world-class solutions to help engage employers and students as part of the British Council’s Skills for Employability programme.
“There is a gap between what the business sector needs from its next generation of employees and the expectations and skill levels that the students have when they are first employed. This forum brings together people who can help bridge that gap,” says Paul Sellers, Country Director, British Council.
Melanie Relton, Regional Vocational Education Manager, for the British Council adds: “The key to a successful future is to draw on each other’s experiences and with over 2,500 professionals from all over the world involved in the British Council’s network, these partnerships can only be strengthened by these sorts of events.”
Patrick Groves, International Relationship Manager from Pembrokeshire College in United Kingdom, spoke at the seminar to share his experiences of creating a vocational training programme that gave students the skills, resources and knowledge to be an asset in the workplace.
Stephan John, Head of Operations of People 1st, a UK organisation that specialises in developing training programmes for people in the leisure, travel, tourism and hospitality industries, said: “We create nationally recognised qualifications that mean every student and apprentice gains the right mix of knowledge and competence to thrive in employment. Working here in the UAE we can share our experiences and make a difference.”
And finally, Paula McManus, Head of Learning and Development from National Bank of Abu Dhabi outlined how the bank is working to create a corporate culture of lifelong learning, career progression and personal development.
The forum generated action points to ensure that education establishments and the private sector work together so that students in the UAE have the best opportunities possible to gain the relevant experience they need to make them valuable commodities in the modern workplace.
For further information contact Sherry Farzami, British Council, Sherry.Farzami@ae.britishcouncil.org.
The Enterprise Challenge
A one-day event organized by the British Council, as part of its Skills for Employability programme. The Enterprise Challenge is designed to complement the students’ existing curriculum while teaching modern workplace skills like problem solving, team work, verbal and non-verbal communication, presentation, leadership and entrepreneurial skills to the nation’s future workforce. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q-zXjs2GQ2k
Skills for Employability
Skills for Employability is a British Council programme that addresses the demand for skills in a global economy so that national educational and training systems are better able to respond to labour market demands and learner needs.
http://www.britishcouncil.org/learning-skills-for-employability.htm
