Graduates without digital capabilities lose tomorrow’s jobs… and specialists: “They studied ancient sciences.”

Experts in education and employment and academic advisors have confirmed that students’ skills require radical change to keep pace with tomorrow’s jobs, and that there has become an urgent need to have a “skills compass” to keep pace with the future labor market, especially in light of the acceleration of radical transformations driven by artificial intelligence and emerging technologies that are making graduates lose the ability to join modern types of jobs.

They told Emirates Today that 87% of companies find it difficult to attract competencies who possess the necessary digital and analytical skills, according to the “Future Jobs 2025” report issued by the World Economic Forum, while economic institutions expect a radical change in the nature of professions within a few years, at a time when the pace of modernization of curricula and academic programs is delayed, compared to the speed of development of economic sectors.

The Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research told Emirates Today that it is focusing on this vital issue, in partnership with multiple parties, to re-engineer the specializations of the future with a new forward-looking methodology, to transform trends into fundamental modifications in programmes, curricula and learning mechanisms, ensuring skills that keep pace with the labor market that does not have mercy on those who fail to acquire these skills.

Skills change faster

In detail, the opinions of university students and recent graduates reflect a wide gap between the content of academic study and what companies are looking for today, as they point out that academic curricula and programs still focus on traditional theories, while labor markets are moving towards advanced skills in artificial intelligence, data analysis, and designing digital solutions.

Tools we don’t know

Media graduate, Kholoud Muhammad, says: “We are studying the past, while the labor market is moving towards data analysis and tools that we do not see in our academic programs. Most of our projects are theoretical and we do not use the analysis or design programs that media institutions require today.”

She adds that her colleagues rely on self-learning to compensate for this deficiency, especially in tools such as Google Analytics, Power BI, and content creation with artificial intelligence.

Design thinking skills

Recent graduate, Tala Muhammad, narrates her experience in applying for digital marketing jobs: “Companies asked me during job interviews about design thinking and digital analysis skills, but we did not learn these skills, nor methods for measuring digital performance or managing electronic campaigns. The curricula do not meet the rapid developments, and are still traditional, compared to the speed of change in the job sector.”

Tomorrow’s employees

As for high school student, Siraj El-Din Ammor, he explained another aspect of the challenge, which lies in the early absence of a professional compass, saying: “We need a platform that tells us what professions will flourish, as we choose specialization out of habit and not out of necessity, and no one explains to us the difference between a specialization that is in demand today and another that will disappear after a few years.” He confirms that most of his colleagues make their educational decisions based on the opinions of their families or personal desires, without understanding future trends.

Scientific specializations

Engineering student, Khaled Muhammad, points out the widening technical gap within scientific disciplines, saying: “We only learn the basics, but companies ask for modern tools that we do not study. In practical training, we discovered that companies use techniques such as advanced modeling and digital simulation, while curricula lag behind keeping pace with this development.” He added that some engineering programs have not been updated for years, despite the significant entry of analytical artificial intelligence tools into the field.

A real gap

An opinion poll – conducted by Emirates Today, in cooperation with the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research via social media platforms, which included 420 students and graduates – showed that there is a real gap between what students receive in their academic stages, and what they actually need to succeed in university and the labor market.

The results of the survey indicated that 42% of participants believe that “critical thinking” is the most important skill before entering university, which reflects a growing awareness of the importance of the ability to analyze and make decisions, away from memorization and memorization.

On the other hand, communication and teamwork skills received a low percentage that did not exceed 12%, an indication of weak awareness of their intrinsic value, despite it being one of the most prominent employment standards globally.

Clear transformation

Regarding the requirements of the labor market, the survey revealed a clear shift in students’ awareness regarding the skills that the new generation needs to join future jobs, as 60% considered that “digital and technical skills” are the real path to career opportunities, while language skills and problem solving came in next ranks, with a clear awareness of the importance of innovation and entrepreneurship, which exceeded 38% of the participants’ votes.

Insufficient training

As for the evaluation of current university programs, the results showed a clear confidence gap between students and academic institutions, as 55% of participants saw that university training is “insufficient” to acquire future skills, while 24% said that it needs “major development,” which means that more than four out of five students believe that the current curricula do not keep pace with the rapid transformations in the required skills.

Expert opinions

Education, economics, and entrepreneurship experts believe that bridging the skills gap cannot be achieved without a more effective role for higher education institutions themselves. They pointed out that the responsibility of universities today is no longer limited to providing theoretical knowledge, but rather includes empowering students with applied skills, enhancing the quality of practical training, and integrating modern technologies and digital skills into study programs, in keeping with the rapid transformations in professions and economic sectors.

They unanimously agreed that the existence of a “national skills platform” has become an urgent necessity to bridge the largest gap between education and the economy.

They added that the UAE has a golden opportunity to strengthen its leadership in this field, especially with the significant expansion in the sectors of artificial intelligence and automation, massive analytics, creative industries, and biotechnology, noting that these sectors require skills that change more quickly than the ability of curricula to keep up with them. The director of human resources at one of the companies, Ahmed Mansour, says: “The certificate alone is no longer sufficient, and companies are looking for digital capabilities and skills.”

Digital education expert, Amr Abdel Hamid, says: “Graduates enter the labor market with much lower capabilities than employers expect, as the speed of transformation exceeds the ability of education to modernize.” He added: “Now the labor market is not merciful to those who fail to acquire these modern technical skills.”

Early warning system

Economist and entrepreneurship advisor Dr. said: Jamal Al-Saidi, the proposed national platform for student guidance should not be just a database, but rather an early warning system for skills that are at risk of disappearing, a map for future professions over a period of five to 10 years, a tool to reduce the cost of training and rehabilitation for companies, and a means to raise productivity and reduce mismatch gaps.

Real-time data

He stated that investing in a national skills platform today will determine the competitiveness of the UAE economy during the next decade, and whoever owns the data owns the future.

Other experts suggested that the platform provide real-time data on the most in-demand jobs, maps of competencies and skills updated annually for all groups in the education community, career paths starting from school, integration between universities and employers, and real-time analyzes of economic trends. An academic advisor, Alaa Ismail Al-Zaro, says: “We need a national platform that provides real-time data on market needs, as planning academic programs needs reliable information.”

A guide to future careers

Parents of students say that having a guide to professions and skills makes their children’s guidance more useful, accurate, and directed. A parent, Mohamed Taha, explains: “We want a platform that helps us choose the right specialization… We do not want to rely on personal expectations or judgments.”

Aligning outputs

For its part, the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research confirms that aligning the outputs of the higher education system with the requirements of the labor market represents a national priority in light of the rapid transformations in the nature of jobs and the needs of economic sectors.

The Ministry stated to Emirates Today that it is working on this vital file, in cooperation with its partners in federal and local institutions, higher education institutions and partners from economic sectors, which have a pivotal role in translating these trends into radical amendments to academic programs and curricula, learning mechanisms and skills that respond to the requirements of the labor market in the future, in light of the unprecedented revolution in technical fields and uses of artificial intelligence.

The Ministry stressed the importance of benefiting from data and studies to monitor the required transformations in future skills, while being keen to strengthen the role of academic and vocational guidance for students at an early stage, to encourage them to acquire the skills required by the labor market.

The Ministry stressed that the next stage requires providing more accurate tools in anticipating the skills and specializations required in the labor market, and directing students early towards educational and professional paths that are compatible with the directions of the national economy in the future.

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Reports

Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) reports show that the labor market undergoes a structural transformation every 18-24 months as a result of technology, while curricula change every seven to 10 years, creating a wide time gap that makes traditional education unable to keep pace with sectors that are developing in real time.

Despite technological transformations, LinkedIn and PwC reports confirm that most graduates still lack basic digital skills, while IBM data indicates that the demand for artificial intelligence and data analysis skills has doubled in just three years, and the Microsoft index shows that 75% of global companies have already integrated artificial intelligence tools into their daily tasks.

According to the “Global Talent Index 2024”, the UAE ranks ninth globally in readiness and competencies, and first regionally. However, experts see the need to enhance human capital capable of competing in sectors of the future, such as artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, biotechnology, renewable energy, and the creative economy, according to reports monitored by the Dubai Future Foundation.

Data from the American company ADP, the world’s leading human resources management company, indicates that only 24% of the workforce feels they possess the skills necessary for professional advancement, which reflects a global mentoring gap.

A recent global study issued by Korn Ferry (a global regulatory consulting firm) revealed that the persistence of the global talent gap is one of the biggest economic challenges during the next decade, as the study expects that the lack of qualified talent will lead to a loss of about $8.5 trillion to the global economy by 2030. The study attributes this huge deficit to the widening gap between the skills needed by economic sectors, especially technology, artificial intelligence, energy, and the digital economy, and what is provided by educational institutions worldwide.

• 60% of participants in an Emirates Today poll believe that skills represent the path to a job.