File photo used for representation only
Panellists at the Qatar Career Development Centre’s (QCDC) third Career Guidance Stakeholders Platform have emphasised the importance of career guidance in an ever-changing job market.
The Career Guidance Stakeholders Platform 2022, held under the theme, “Accelerating Human Capital Development through Career Guidance under the QNV 2030,” also discussed the challenges students face while picking a career path and the influence of families in decision making.
The opening session of the event was attended by Abdulla Al Mansoori, Director, Qatar Career Development Centre, Francisco Marmolejo, Higher Education President & Education Advisor, Qatar Foundation, Max Tuñón, Head, International Labour Organization (ILO) Project Office for the State of Qatar, Dr. Anthony Mann, Senior Policy Analyst, Education and Skills Directorate, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), and Dr. Raimo Vuorinen, Adjunct Associate Professor, University of Jyväskylä.
The discussion further highlights Qatar’s transformational drive as part of the Qatar National Vision 2030 in building a sustainable workforce capable of driving the nation’s economic and innovative ambitions. Career guidance will ensure potential employees, administrators, inventors, etc., are directed according to their capabilities, passion, and needs of the labour market.
“Career guidance is beneficial, both at individually and at the communal levels,” Dr. Vuorinen said, highlighting QNV 2030 in Qatar’s policymaking. “It helps maximize security, stability, and intergenerational justice, through continuously raising the educational attainment levels of all Qatari citizens,” he added.
Also, Tunon stressed that investing in career guidance and better links between education and employment will ensure more workers and enterprises are prepared for the challenges and opportunities that the future of work will present us.
“Initiatives like this Platform and the continued efforts of Qatar Career Development Centre to build networks are key to raising the profile of the potential and strategic importance of career guidance,” the ILO official added.
Besides, the discussion proposed that career guidance and employment services be more human-centered and based on projected and proven labour market intelligence.
Dr. Mann from the OECD also noted that “Never before in human history has career guidance been more important than it is today. Young people have more decisions to make than ever before, and those decisions are getting more difficult as the job market is changing.”
Meanwhile, in another panel discussion, titled “Accelerating Human Capital Development in Qatar,” Sara H Al Hajri, Asst Director for Talent Development, QF Pre-University Education Division, Ahmad Al Balam, Head of Academic and Career Advising, MoEHE, Shaikha Ahmad Al Thani, Head of Scholarship and Follow Up, Civil Service and Government Development Bureau and Ghareb Jassim Al Mahmoud Asst Manager, Org Effectiveness, Human Resources, Qatar Energy all agreed that students need to recognise that sometimes what they want to specialise on may not help them in the future, and they end up studying programmes that are maybe too difficult for them.
The panel disclosed that the government, in partnership with the private sectors, has prioritized preparing competent human capital from high school through higher education until they get integrated into the productive force.
Career Guidance Stakeholders Platform is held in partnership with the Ministry of Education and Higher Education, the International Labour Organization (ILO) Project Office for Qatar, and Qatar Foundation’s (QF) Higher Education Division.
