Young job seekers told to consider alternative careers, learn fresh skills in wake of recession

The Middle East Youth Initiative, a joint project of the US-based Wolfensohn Center for Development and the Dubai School of Government, says that 25% of 15-24 year olds in the UAE are currently unemployed, compared with a global average of 14%.

In response, Feddah Lootah, Acting General Manager of Tanmia, the national human resource and development authority, has said that school leavers should opt for degrees in areas such as engineering and finance, which may be less popular but can offer them more employment opportunities upon graduation.

The options available to UAE job hunters of all ages will be spotlighted at Najah, the important education, training and careers event organised by IIR Middle East and taking place for a third year in Abu Dhabi from 20-22 October.

"The global economic crisis has resulted in massive jobs losses across the region and made it much more difficult for new job seekers to follow their chosen career paths," said Lucy Clarke, Exhibition Director for Najah.

"For many the best option may be to look towards different career opportunities and develop additional skills, and this is why it is so important in the current climate for the UAE to have a dedicated education, training and careers forum such as Najah," Lucy added.

More than 60% of floor space has already been sold for Najah, which last year attracted more than 7,000 visitors, including students, parents, university deans, training practitioners, coaching and mentoring professionals, Ministry and Government personnel, HR directors and recruitment officers.

Taking place at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre, the exhibition allows leading educational institutions from across the UAE, the Gulf region and overseas to highlight for UAE school leavers and their parents the opportunities available in the Middle East and abroad.

Among the prominent names taking part in Najah will be Abu Dhabi University, Michigan State University in Dubai and Murdoch University, which has three campuses in Western Australia as well as international study centres in Malaysia, Singapore, Japan and Dubai.

For the first time this year the event will feature a new Education Conference which provides a platform for local and international educators to discuss trends and developments in the education sector.

Education remains a strong focus of the UAE Federal Government. While the sector is a vulnerable target for budget cuts during economically uncertain times, the UAE's education budget has risen by 12% in 2009, taking up almost a quarter of all spending, and reinforcing the value of learning.

Aside from encouraging students to embrace higher education, Najah also caters to those in employment and helps them to realise their potential through career advancement and training.

The event is used by leading businesses in the region to launch recruitment drives and is also highly valued by training companies, research and development organisations and management consultants.

As businesses throughout the world trim their workforces and streamline operations to increase efficiency and lower costs, more businesses in the UAE are seeing the benefits of in-house training, professional development and employee motivation to increase employee productivity.

A recent Towers Perrin report found that 70% of top management representatives plan to motivate and re-energise staff, strengthening the link between employee engagement and business performance.

Training companies in the region have the opportunity to access thousands of professionals seeking career development courses, and human resource managers looking to introduce comprehensive training programmes to their businesses. Furthermore, Najah will host a new training conference called TrainME, aimed at high level training professionals from all industries.

The Towers Perrin report also found that senior management placed primary importance on increasing the capability of the human resource team in order to drive employee engagement and implement HR plans.

In 2008, the Dubai Institute for Human Resource Development reported the positive impact of Najah on their business, with high visitor numbers and good organisation.

The popular job profiling sessions and the career advice lounge return to the exhibition in 2009, as well as a series of seminar sessions hosted by industry professionals to help visitors choose the right education or career path.