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Qatar Career Development Center (QCDC) has launched the region's first Arabic-led Post-Graduate Diploma in Career Development, marking a new era in professional development and career guidance in Qatar. This specialised programme aims to prepare career guidance and career development practitioners through a practice-based approach in Qatar's context.The programme, a collaboration among QCDC, Ministry of Education and Higher Education (MoEHE), Community College Qatar (CCQ) and EduCluster Finland, will start next week with the first cohort of about 25 participants and lasts for 12 months. The announcement was made at a press conference Thursday with representatives from the collaborating entities at the Student Centre of Education City."This diploma represents a national investment in the quality of career guidance, delivered in Arabic for the first time in Qatar and the region, and grounded in global, evidence-based best practice," said Saad Abdulla al-Kharji, executive director of QCDC. "It raises professional standards and strengthens practitioners' ability to empower students and jobseekers to make more informed, confident decisions. Career guidance is a specialist discipline that directly affects education outcomes, workforce readiness, and individual life decisions."He highlighted that the programme has three pathways and applicants can choose according to their interest. The first pathway is for schools from K-12 grade, the second pathway is for higher education and training, while the third is for professionals and workplace settings. Those who have completed a graduate degree are eligible to apply for the programme run by Community College of Qatar.Dr Hareb Mohammed al-Jabri, assistant undersecretary for higher education at MoEHE, said: "This diploma sits at the heart of one of the Ministry's strategic priorities under the Third National Development Strategy, aligning education outcomes with labour market needs." He added that achieving this goal "requires highly capable career guidance practitioners with a comprehensive understanding of both the education ecosystem and the labour market, so students are guided toward pathways that match their abilities and talents."The programme aims to build a sustainable national pipeline of specialised practitioners and strengthen the quality, consistency, and measurable impact of career development services across education and workplace settings. Arabic-led delivery positions the diploma as a region-first milestone, designed around Qatar's professional realities while remaining aligned with internationally informed standards.Dr Khalid Mohamed al-Horr, president of CCQ, said the diploma launch "reflects CCQ's commitment to offering high-quality, practice-based academic programmes that develop specialised cadres to support individuals in planning their career pathways and strengthen the alignment between education outcomes and labour market needs."The diploma carries 30 credits and includes approximately 1,500 total learning hours across theory, applied training, individual and group learning activities, and field-based practice. Dr David Marsh, coordination lead of the Academic Advisory Council at EduCluster Finland, added the diploma reflects "what can be achieved when partners unite their efforts and strengths." 

The Civil Services and Government Development Bureau, represented by the Institute of Public Administration, has launched the National Training and Career Development Plan for 2026, as part of its ongoing efforts to strengthen the human development system and enhance the efficiency of human capital in the government sector.On this occasion, Director of the Institute of Public Administration Maha Al Marri affirmed that the National Training and Career Development Plan for 2026 embodies a strategic approach to building human capital within the government, in line with the Third National Development Strategy, through an integrated competency-based training system aimed at achieving tangible impact at the level of institutional performance. She added that the Institute of Public Administration is working to create a supportive environment for the effective implementation of the plan, in partnership with government entities, thereby enhancing institutional excellence in the State of Qatar.The new national plan comes in response to a fundamental shift in the state's vision for training and career development. It is based on the recent amendments to certain provisions of the Executive Regulation of Civil Human Resources, and reflects a transition from training linked to job grade to training linked to competencies and their levels. This shift contributes to enhancing the effectiveness of training programs and directly linking them to performance evaluation outcomes and individual development plans.The plan is built on a competency-based professional development methodology, through flexible training programs that include in-person training and asynchronous e-learning. It also allows employees to choose programs aligned with their career paths across three main tracks: leadership, specialized, and technical and clerical roles. These tracks cover behavioral, leadership, and technical competencies across four levels-beginner, intermediate, advanced, and expert-within an integrated career development framework that combines training, performance evaluation, and career planning.

More than 700 students took part in Qatar Career Development Center's (QCDC) 'Little Employee' initiative during this week's school mid-term break, joining their parents and relatives at workplaces across the country, Qatar Career Development Centre (QCDC) has announced in a statement.Organised by QCDC, founded by Qatar Foundation (QF), 'Little Employee' enables children aged 7-15 to spend a full working day in real-world environments alongside parental role models.This initiative builds early career awareness and strengthening family engagement in career conversations. It is designed with flexible scheduling, allowing families and institutions to make the most of both school breaks and regular workdays.This week's surge signals national momentum to use school breaks for structured career exploration, building curiosity, transferable skills, and early informed choices in support of Qatar's human-capital agenda. After engaging 500 children in 2024, participation has more than doubled in 2025, reflecting stronger public and institutional recognition of the initiative's value."This week's turnout shows what is possible when families, institutions, and the wider community invest in our children," said Saad Abdulla al-Kharji, Executive Director of QCDC. "By opening their doors during the mid-term break, partners across government, media, finance, education, and civil society provided meaningful, age-appropriate exposure to the world of work. They are helping turn education into competence and build a future-ready workforce aligned with Qatar National Vision 2030. We thank all participating entities for championing early career development and community partnership," he added.Now in its fifth edition, 'Little Employee' offers streamlined pathways for families and employers. QCDC provides interactive workshops and step-by-step guides to structure the day and embed the initiative into CSR and youth-engagement plans. QCDC calls on companies, government and semi-government entities, and NGOs to host additional days this period and in upcoming breaks.Organizations and parents/guardians can enroll children by visiting QCDC's official website.