Building partnerships to better prepare Emirati youth for the workplace

This initiative is part of the Skills for Employability programme developed by the British Council which 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.

The partnerships fostered during this event will help UAE leaders in Vocational Education and Industry share expertise and ideas to take forward new approaches to skills training that would help better prepare the Emirati youth for the workplace today and in the future.

The Advisory Forum

As part of the British Council's Skills for Employability programme, the participating professionals will discuss and debate the development of the technical vocational training and how in the UAE it can best meet the needs of young people of today to ensure that they are equip with the employment skills required nationally and international by employers'.

The decisions coming out of the forums will help ensure that the programme takes appropriate consideration of related TVET initiatives. It will also enable the development of the Skills for Employability programme and partnership activities to be informed by expertise in the country. The discussions will revolve around policies, institutional partnerships and professional networking to better roll-out the programme.

The Skills for Employability Programme

The Skills for Employability programme is a British Council programme whose overall aim is to support economic and social development by skills and enterprise training, and to provide opportunities for the next generation. Through Skills for Employability we engage the UK's leading policymakers and agencies for skills and enterprise with their counterparts in the country and the region.

Skills for Employability works to address the challenges of globalisation and the demand for skills in a global economy - through facilitating college partnerships, working with policymakers, providing access to UK skills and training expertise and creating opportunities to promote innovation.

This is a new dynamic British Council programme that is working towards creating opportunities for the next generation and building the work base skills of young people and adults. We aim to focus on positive engagement between employers and education, and work with government and its agencies to support their national vocational education and training development agendas."

Sherry Farzami Project Manager for Education , British Council.

So far, under the College partnership programme representatives from 3 UK colleges have visited the UAE. With the first formal two year partnership between Sharjah Institute of Technology and Pembrokeshire and Coleg Gwent representatives starting in October 2009.