Qatar
First Gulf Forum for Labour Market Skills recommends unified strategy to develop national talent
The First Gulf Forum for Labour Market Skills, held under the theme From Empowerment to Leadership, recommended strengthening Gulf integration in skills development policies and preparing a unified Gulf Co-operation Council (GCC) strategy in this field, as well as aligning education and training programmes more closely with labour market needs.
Participants at the forum, organised by the Ministry of Labour (MOL) in partnership with the Executive Bureau of the GCC Council of Ministers of Labor and Social Affairs and University of Doha for Science and Technology (UDST), called for investment in national talent, improved mechanisms for anticipating future skills needs, and measuring the impact of skills development programmes.
The recommendations included considering the establishment of a joint GCC committee for skills development to prepare a unified strategy that keeps pace with technological change and evolving workplace requirements while enhancing national talent's readiness for the skills and jobs of the future.
Participants stressed the importance of strengthening partnerships among educational and training institutions and the private sector, tailoring training programmes to the actual and anticipated needs of economic sectors, investing in professional, digital, and leadership skills, promoting targeted and sustainable localisation, and expanding career development opportunities for citizens in the private sector.
The recommendations also called for a greater private-sector role in identifying required skills, designing training programmes, and providing learning and professional development opportunities to ensure that training outcomes meet job requirements.
They further emphasised improving mechanisms to anticipate labour market needs, using data and indicators to identify future skills requirements, and continuously evaluating and improving the effectiveness of programmes and initiatives.
Participants also called for the forum to be held annually, rotating among GCC member states, to sustain dialogue, exchange expertise, and strengthen Gulf co-ordination in addressing shared challenges related to the future of skills and work.
The MOL's Assistant Undersecretary for National Manpower Affairs in the Private Sector Khames Mohammed al-Naimi underscored the importance of continued joint GCC efforts to develop skills systems and exchange expertise and successful practices among member states, enhancing national talent's readiness for changing labour market requirements.
He stressed the need for continued co-ordination and complementary roles among government entities, educational and training institutions, and the private sector, and for translating visions and proposals into practical, measurable initiatives that deliver a sustainable impact on skills development and national workforce readiness.
Al-Naimi also called for continued investment in people and the development of their ability to learn, adapt, and innovate in response to rapid advances in technology and digital transformation, while opening broader opportunities for GCC talent to contribute to development and shape the future.