Najah helps UAE along the learning curve

The three-day exhibition, Najah Education Training Careers, became an instant hit when it was launched last year with the full support of the Abu Dhabi Education Council to fully service the needs of the education, training and careers sectors within one focused environment.

The second edition will take place from 19-21 October 2008 will be of major interest to public and private sector organisations and educational institutions seeking to make direct contact with school leavers, graduates, parents, job seekers, those seeking education opportunities abroad or professional advancement and HR professionals.

In a further announcement, His Highness Sheikh Nahyan Bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister of Education for the UAE, has confirmed he will act as patron of Najah and will inaugurate the event on its opening day.

Currently, more than 500,000 students are now attending schools and colleges in the UAE, with generous grants available for those wishing to study abroad.

At the same time, 95 per cent of female and 80 per cent of male final year secondary students are applying for tertiary education.

With the highest population growth rate in the Arab world - more than 5 per cent annual increase over the past 17 years - education continues to be a huge focus for the UAE government.

Almost 50% of the population in the UAE is under 20 years of age; as a consequence, education and careers information are of huge interest to a large and growing proportion of the population.

Taking this into account, the UAE Ministry of Education has adopted 'Education 2020', a series of five year plans designed to introduce advanced educational techniques, improve innovation skills and focus more on the self-learning abilities of students.

The UAE's youth have increasing access to higher education and training programmes, making Najah - which means 'to achieve or success' in Arabic - a dynamic business opportunity for all those offering quality services in the education, training and careers market place.

Choosing the right career path can be taxing for today's youth as well as their parents. To help overcome the challenge, the exhibition will feature career counseling advice, running alongside a dedicated job profiling area, sponsored by ADNOC, enabling individuals to find careers that best match their talents.

Designed to bring direct contact between leading organisations and proactive, dynamic and resourceful young people, Najah Education Training Careers will be the most comprehensive event of its kind ever to be held in the UAE. It will feature job profiling, careers advice and interactive seminar sessions.

The inaugural event last year drew scores of school and university students, recent graduates and teachers from around the UAE who met leading international and regional providers of education, training and career development programmes, initiatives and opportunities.

As an example of its usefulness, leading UK bank Barclays sourced a number of employees for a new Abu Dhabi branch and reported a strong level of interest from high calibre candidates.

Christine Weaver, Exhibition Director for Najah Education Training Careers, said: "The UAE government has a very strong focus on educating its people as a national investment. With so many new facilities, programmes and courses available, graduating students need to be aware of their possibilities and find a career path that will best suit them. Najah is an opportunity for businesses to enter into this dynamic market and is a gateway to Abu Dhabi, the capital, economic and political hub of the UAE.

"Targeting this growing area of industry has never been a more timely decision for educational institutes - national and international, elementary and higher, training organisations and businesses looking to promote their recruitment drives."