"Qataries are attracted by the monetary incentives offered by the public sector. This is one of the formidable challenges the planners in the country face in their drive to push nationals into private employment", he said. Dr Al Mohannadi was delivering a talk on the "Labour Market in the State of Qatar", at Qatar University, as part of its summer programme activities.
"The job guarantees offered to the nationals are not matching to the basic spirits of Qatarisation policy. The existing training system is not convenient to the labour market requirement. The linkage between education and labour market is very weak." Dr Al Mohannadi said. The increasing demand for professional skills, in view of the Qatar’s huge investment, is another factor that hampers the Qatarisation policy, he added.
Dr Al Mohannadi stressed the need for bridging the existing gap between education curricula and work conditions in Qatar by linking education to the job market needs. The prevalence of isolated and unbalanced development policies and lack of a coordination body are among other contributing factors for this situation.
Citing some recent initiatives taken by the General Secretariat for Development Planning (GSDP), in association with various ministries and government agencies, Dr Al Mohannadi said plans are afoot to set up an institution for labour market development. There are also plans to create a national framework for the ideal qualifications required by labour market, he said.
Dr Al Mohannadi wanted the universities and training institutions in the country to play a greater role in creating qualified graduates specialised in specific areas required by the industrial sector, and the petrochemical industries in particular.
"Qatar’s economic growth has gathered a huge momentum. However, to enhance this and to improve Qatar’s global competitiveness, we have to create a strong private sector that meets the development requirements", Dr Al Mohannadi said.
