A recent report that highlighted the extremely low participation of the nationals in Qatar’s private sector assumes significance as the country gives a push to the sustainable development model in support of its national vision.
Recently, Ernst & Young (EY) said that in Qatar only 1% of the private sector workforce is made up of nationals.
Comparatively, Saudi Arabia has done well in this area, employing about 18% of its nationals in the private sector.
“There is an urgent need to get more GCC nationals working in the private sector. The old model of employing nationals in high-paying government jobs is no longer sustainable; budgets are strained and government businesses struggle to become more efficient. It has an impact on the private sector too, which relies heavily on expatriates for its workforce,” said Will Cooper, partner and Mena government social infrastructure leader at EY.
Obviously, there is a pressing need to equip nationals for skilled jobs including those in the private sector. This is because Qatar has economic diversification as a priority.
The country’s policymakers have emphasised that the national economy must be diversified away from oil and gas in order to ensure the targeted sustainable development.
Diversifying the economy away from oil and gas is central to Qatar’s strategic plan and the country’s sizeable investment programme should continue to drive non-hydrocarbon growth and lead to further economic diversification going forward.
Recently, the Ministry of Development Planning and Statistics said that to support long-term deepening of the economic base, more needs to be done to boost private sector participation in the economy and the upgrading of skills, technology and productivity.
If the GCC is to employ the fast-growing number of young nationals entering the labour market and remain competitive, it needs to create more jobs in the private sector - but just as importantly, it must ensure that nationals have both the motivation and the skills to fill them, the EY report said based on a survey.
It showed that a majority (53%) of employers view lack of work experience as affecting nationals’ employability, with only 30% of GCC (Gulf Co-operation Council) students having taken any work experience.
Three-quarters of the GCC employers feel the education system doesn’t know what skills employers need, EY said in a report.
The report indicated that the top three priorities for GCC students when taking a job are money, job security and work-life balance.
Almost three-quarters of GCC students put salary packages at the top of the list of what they consider very important in a job, followed by 59% citing job security as very important.
The survey of students and employers across the GCC was designed to identify the major challenges that employers face in hiring and retaining nationals, as well as the attitudes of young people toward employment. The results showed there is a “fundamental misalignment” between the expectations of both sides.
Clearly, sustainable development is an essential part of the Qatar National Vision 2030, and it will provide greater opportunities and a better way of life for the country’s citizens.
Achieving that objective hinges on Qatar’s ability to create a balance between an oil-based and a knowledge-based economy.
