The Dubai Government Human Resources Department (DGHR), in cooperation with its strategic partners in Dubai’s government sector, organised the ‘Scholarship Innovation Lab’, a knowledge exchange initiative aimed at exploring ways to develop a unified framework for Dubai Government’s scholarship programmes.
The Lab, held at the DP World pavilion at Dubai Expo 2020, discussed the development of sustainable scholarship programmes that support the government’s efforts to create a highly-skilled talent pool for future industries.
Abdullah Ali bin Zayed Al Falasi, Director General of DGHR, said,
“In line with the vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, DGHR seeks to harness the exceptional talent of UAE citizens to build the new competencies that will be required in the evolving job market. We have a particular focus on creating a strong local skill base that will meet the human resource requirements of Dubai government entities,”
He noted that Dubai’s leadership is particularly keen to offer scholarships to distinguished Emirati students in specialised programmes in prestigious universities focused on science, technology and knowledge-based industries.
Al Falasi added,
“The DGHR is seeking to develop new strategies and plans to attract promising talent to join the government sector in Dubai. The transformative shifts taking place in various sectors have resulted in extensive changes in the labour market. Some of the most sought-after skills in the future will be related to artificial intelligence, engineering, precision engineering and cybersecurity, among others,”
The ‘Scholarship Innovation Lab’ builds on the DGHR’s extensive talent development programmes, apart from offering a platform for exchanging ideas and experiences. Al Falasi explained that over the last few years, the DGHR has been working on ‘Future Talents’ an integrated talent development system that has two parallel tracks. In its academic track, scholarships are offered to Emirati students in vital disciplines related to future-oriented industries and sectors that are vital to the UAE’s long-term sustainable development strategies. The second track features professional development programmes designed to nurture the capabilities of Emirati employees in the Government of Dubai.
Lt. Colonel Mansour Al Balushi, Director of Scholarships and Recruitment Department at Dubai Police, highlighted the ‘Efaad’ initiative, a smart, interactive and comprehensive platform that responds to the needs and inquiries of Dubai Police scholarship students and supports university and college students and the organisation’s employees in their educational journey. The platform has helped Dubai Police strengthen partnerships with various government and local institutions that support the education and scholarship system.
Captain Hamed Abdullah, Head of Scholarships and Recruitment Department at Dubai Police, said the Efaad platform aims to enhance the results obtained from recruitment and continuing education initiatives. Since its launch, Efaad has registered 180,618 visits and 31,646 users, which include 17,664 university and school students and 12,767 Dubai Police employees. The smart platform provides 90 electronic services. Students wishing to train with Dubai Police can register through the ‘Efaad’ platform via the link: https://efaad.dubaipolice.gov.ae
A panel discussion organised as part of the ‘Scholarships Innovation Lab’ discussed the future of Dubai and its labour market, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the labour market, and international best practices in developing talent that meets the requirements of the future job market.
Participants in the panel discussion included Maryam Al Falahi, Policy and Strategies Adviser for Social Development, The Executive Council of Dubai and Dr. Hamad Al Kaabi, Director of Scholarships Department, Ministry of Education.
Al Falahi affirmed that The Executive Council continues to enhance its efforts to develop local talent based on the latest developments, studies and statistics.
“As demonstrated during the pandemic, Dubai has shown the highest preparedness to ensure that it has access to a skilled workforce even during global crises and that education and professional development are not impacted. We continue to proactively update our plans for the future based on a review of global trends,”
Al Kaabi stressed on the need for talent development programmes to focus on science and innovation driven sectors including industry, space, information technology and artificial intelligence.
Other panel discussions featuring Dubai Government officials from various entities explored ways to generate innovative ideas, solutions and proposals to address talent development and the challenges facing talent.
News Source: Dubai Media Office
