File photo used for representation only
Qatar Career Development Center’s (QCDC) third Career Guidance Stakeholders Platform seeks to propose 2021-2025 action steps to support the realisation of the Qatar National Vision 2030 human development pillar objectives through career guidance.
Speaking to The Peninsula, QCDC’s Director Abdulla Al Mansoori said that the Platform will build on the past success as a viable national networking and synergy-building mechanism for strategic and operational enhancement of career guidance in Qatar.
“Qatar has reached the ultimate stage in developing career guidance programmes and initiatives aimed at instilling and consolidating career guidance as part of Qatar’s culture and economy. This prompts us to cooperate with various public and private stakeholders and institutions to establish a framework for developing specific standards and policies in this field at the national level and to define the roles and responsibilities of the concerned authorities in implementing the career guidance component of the Education and Training Sector under Qatar’s 2017-2022 National Development Strategy,” said Al Mansoori.
“We are pleased that since its inception, this Platform has succeeded in attracting a large number of authorities and stakeholders concerned with career guidance, from inside and outside Qatar. To this day, we are still garnering great interest and engagement from various stakeholders, whether public or private,” he added.
The third edition of the Platform titled ‘Accelerating Human Capital Development through Career Guidance under the Qatar National Vision 2030’ will be held virtually today. The Career Guidance Stakeholders Platform is a biennial event that brings together policymakers, decision-makers, experts, academics, career professionals, researchers, and others to discuss and explore various issues about career guidance and development and suggest the best ways to support building an appropriate and integrated career guidance ecosystem in Qatar.
“Through this Platform and its ensuing recommendations, we seek to accelerate the pace towards empowering Qatari youth, by helping them unlock and develop their abilities and talents to achieve their professional aspirations, and at the same time serve the future needs of the Qatari economy. This is attainable by encouraging cooperation, supporting innovation, exchanging knowledge, and sharing research results and best practices adopted in the field of career guidance,” said Al Mansoori.
Career Guidance Stakeholders Platform is held in partnership with the Ministry of Education and Higher Education, the International Labor Organization (ILO) Project Office for Qatar, and Qatar Foundation’s (QF) Higher Education Division.
President of Higher Education at the Qatar Foundation, Francisco Marmolejo, said, “It is a unique opportunity to bring together relevant national stakeholders with key global experts, to discuss ways in which education and employment can be more effectively aligned in response to emerging needs in Qatar. By convening in one venue - virtual at this time - key players, we aim to refine and strengthen collaboration and communication mechanisms.”
“The rapidly shifting nature of jobs makes it necessary for university graduates to be prepared to shift not only jobs but even professions. Our universities should adapt, making sure that students are exposed to flexible and multidisciplinary education and receive adequate career guidance support. I am confident that at the Platform, participants will have an opportunity to learn and share best practices,” he added.
