Mohammed launches Emirates Nationals Development Programme

Brothers and sisters

The UAE is experiencing a stage of economic, financial and construction-related development that has grabbed international attention. But a nation's progress cannot be measured solely in terms of the amount of construction and the state of its economy, one must also take into consideration the extent to which a nation's people are competent and advanced because progress is based on all these elements.

Today, we meet to launch an initiative that will equip young nationals with the skills to meet the requirements of the private sector's job market.

Frankly, I want our young people to be so well qualified that private sector organisations compete to offer them jobs. This objective can be attained within a set time.

Our young people have done well in government departments and in the public sector; I am confident that they will perform just as well in the private sector.

There are not enough nationals working in the private sector; this issue must be resolved through the employment of qualified nationals. The dearth of national employees in the private sector is not just the nationals' responsibility, it is also the responsibility of the country and of the private sector.

We do not make statements without facts and scientific research. Recently, we benefited from the expertise of consultants and researchers and their findings follow:

First, the productivity of the government sector's employees is comparable to the highest standards of the private sector.

Second, this productivity has doubled in less than five years.

Third, the government's projects and organisations have achieved profits and growing revenues in an environment where they must compete with the private sector.

Fourth, despite all the points mentioned above, the private sector still has a negative impression of national employees.

Surely this impression is inaccurate.

Our young people have proved a strong and effective presence in the most successful public departments and civil and military organisations. If you want me to mention names and achievements, I will not be able to count them all.

We do not rest on our laurels; we are not satisfied with what only the public sector has accomplished.

We are not satisfied with assigning blame without making all possible effort to make positive changes.

Our young people are qualified to hold the highest positions in the private sector and we will do our best to help them do so by launching the Emirates Nationals Development Programme.

This programme has two major objectives: the first is to provide young nationals with all expertise necessary to meet the needs of the private sector's job market; the second is to make the private sector aware of national employees' abilities and to correct any negative impressions that this sector has.

This programme is ready and we will implement it immediately so that it can serve as the bridge between what the educational system provides and what the job market needs.

Because the private sector is a major part of this programme, I have decided that private sector representatives will be appointed to the board of trustees, which will coordinate between the programme and private sector organisations and monitor the interaction between companies and the programme's graduates.

This initiative is not just a national recruitment establishment or an institute for teaching administrative procedures, it encompasses both.

The programme will prepare its graduates for work in the private sector; the private sector will provide ways to communicate with national employees.

We want to prove to the private sector that by recruiting nationals they will be acting in their own best interest, not performing a service to society. In order to do this we must make the private sector aware of our young people's abilities.

The Emirates Nationals Development Programme will be responsible for training, establishing a dialogue with the job market and publishing the results of research into nationals' job qualifications.

We must highlight the role of the media, which can be very instrumental in keeping nationals informed about job opportunities. The media can also keep the private sector informed about our young people's skills by highlighting their qualifications and successes; internationally, there are many examples that highlight the importance of the role of media in this context.

Brothers, you know that since the very beginning the government has facilitated the private sector's success. Thanks to the tax and administrative facilities it offers as well as its e-government procedures, this country has become a model host for thousands of companies in industries such as communication, finance, IT, TV and entertainment. Our policies have lead to increasing success for the private sector. It follows that we expect the private sector's support for the programme we are launching today.

I will not forget to mention the companies and businessmen that already have programmes to recruit nationals; I salute these brothers and thank them, and I want everyone to learn from their successful experiences and to see how emiratisation has contributed to their profits, the stability of their businesses and their companies' growth.

None of the things mentioned will prove effective unless educational syllabi are updated and kept up to international standards. I am optimistic about the educational councils' plans to improve education at schools and universities.

Brothers and sisters, with the launch of Emirates Nationals Development Programme, I look forward to enhancing social development and boosting national participation in the private sector. I will be paying attention to this programme and monitoring its progress closely. We will provide it with everything needed in order to make it a success.

This programme is open to all UAE nationals and I encourage everyone to take part in it. The programme will not hesitate to meet the needs of every company in our nation.

I call on all young UAE nationals to work hard, to learn and to seek training, and I ask their parents to encourage and guide their children. I also call on all institutes and universities to meet the needs of the job market. I call on the private sector to provide young people with more job opportunities.

This programme is for you and for the nation.

May the peace and blessings of Allah be upon you.