Al Mansouri called on students to define their long-term goals before choosing a university major (Al Jazeera)
Doha -
The Executive Director of the Qatar Career Development Center, Abdullah Al Mansouri, said that there are many challenges that students face in designing their career paths, and he stressed that only 15% of students and graduates in Qatar have a clear idea of the professional path that suits them, which leads to taking... Uninformed decisions regarding their career paths and academic majors.
Al Mansouri stressed the importance of intensive search for appropriate universities and educational programs that are compatible with students’ ambitions, whether inside or outside Qatar, taking into account geographical location and status.
The Executive Director of the Qatar Career Development Center pointed out the success of the electronic career guidance system established by the Qatar Career Development Center, as 30,000 students from public schools in Qatar benefited from it, and which helps academic advisors determine the students’ personality and work values, so that they are able to provide advice. and informed professional advice.
Regarding the impact of artificial intelligence on job opportunities in Qatar, Al Mansouri pointed out that applications of artificial intelligence technologies may affect some jobs, but at the same time they are capable of creating new fields and jobs in the sectors of programming, data analysis, robotics, design and development, which contributes to strengthening the labor market. In Qatar with innovative professionals.
The following is the text of the interview:
First, tell us about the importance of the International Day of Education organized by the Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development, and what is the most important thing discussed on this day?
The State of Qatar, through the Ministry of Education and Higher Education, celebrated International Education Day under the slogan “Education is Everyone’s Responsibility” with the aim of encouraging all members of society to support and enhance the level of education.
The celebration aims to involve public and private entities and community members in supporting and sponsoring the educational process, clarifying that education is not the responsibility of educational institutions and families only, but rather a shared responsibility that requires diverse efforts and participation from all parties.
This initiative focuses on involving parents in the educational process, reflecting the importance of their role in supporting the growth and care of their children.
It also highlights the interaction between parents, schools and employers to achieve and diversify the comprehensive educational experience.
This includes enhancing collaboration with the local community to support students' educational experience and create positive work environments that meet their needs.
It is also important for the labor market and decision-makers to participate in this process, as they can play an important role in improving the education process and influencing its results.
How does the Qatar Career Development Center help students know the necessary information related to university majors and institutions that match their desires and qualifications?
Qatar Career Development Center always seeks to support younger generations through guidance and professional development.
The Center organizes direct meetings, events and programs to interact with young people, and contributes to spreading awareness through its knowledge publications.
Among these publications comes the “Specialization Guide,” which is the first comprehensive and detailed reference for all majors offered at universities and higher educational institutions in Qatar, and is considered an ideal tool for young people, parents, and professional and academic advisors to understand the map of higher education in the country and make informed academic and professional decisions.
Through the “Your Career Guide” magazine, the center highlights various academic paths and explores the professional lives of inspiring models from inside and outside the country, in addition to discussing the needs of the labor market and the requirements of sustainable development for the State of Qatar.
The center also held a strategic partnership with the American “Coder” Foundation with the aim of designing the first “electronic career guidance system” of its kind in the country, designed according to local needs and taking into account the cultural and economic specificities of the State of Qatar.
Education is our path to knowledge and our gateway to a promising career path in which we achieve our ambitions and enrich our societies.
In celebration of International Education Day, join Mr. Abdullah Al Mansouri, Executive Director of the Qatar Career Development Center, in emphasizing that “Education is everyone’s responsibility,” which is the slogan that the Ministry agreed upon… pic.twitter.com/CuhdgORXZd
- Qatar Career Development Center (@QCDCQatar) January 24, 2024
Can you give us more details about the electronic career guidance system, and who benefits from it?
It is an integrated educational career planning system that currently benefits more than 30,000 public school students in the State of Qatar after it was approved by the Ministry of Education and Higher Education. It is a tool that helps academic advisors in schools determine their students’ personalities and work values, so that they are able to provide professional advice and advice. They are based on real and reliable information.
Today, the center is in the process of expanding this system by launching an updated version of it called “Atlas” after the widespread demand for its use by students.
The electronic career guidance system includes 6 integrated sections that allow the beneficiary to use professional assessments designed according to scientific foundations, which lead them to identify their interests and values, and then the system provides them with abundant information about what matches the results of their assessments regarding academic and professional options in the country and abroad.
What are the most challenging challenges that students face in the crucial stage of secondary school?
Perhaps the most prominent challenges facing students today are the lack of professional awareness, the difficulty of understanding the nature of the available professional specializations and the opportunities associated with them, and the lack of knowledge of the specializations required by the labor market, whether at the present time or in the future.
This results in a kind of confusion in the choices of professional paths or academic specializations, which is shown by field research conducted by the Center in cooperation with the leading consulting company KPMG, through which it was found that only 15% of students and graduates have a clear idea about... The career path they will engage in.
One of the reasons that leads us to this conclusion is also the scarcity of sources of accurate and reliable information about the available academic and professional paths, and the connections between them, which leads students to imitate their family members and peers, especially their older siblings, in the universities they attend and in the professional paths to which they aspire. Then they may end up on a path that does not serve their personal aspirations and does not allow them to achieve self-realization.
Here comes the role of our center by creating a group of professional interventions to provide advice and guidance to students towards making sound professional decisions.
What advice can you give to students in Qatar who are in the process of choosing their specialty for higher education?
Choosing the ideal university major is a personal process that varies from one student to another.
Therefore, students should carefully consider their long-term goals before making this decision, such as thinking about the professional path they wish for themselves, researching the skills this field requires, and working to develop them.
This is done through extensive research into available universities and educational programs that are compatible with the student’s ambition, whether inside or outside the State of Qatar, taking into account its geographical location and status.
To choose the most appropriate major, a high school graduate must also think about the possibility of developing and growing in the field he aspires to, by benefiting from professional experience and internship programs.
They must also maintain continuous development by refining their study habits, time management skills, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills. University study is different from school, and they enjoy independence in learning.
What tips should graduates follow before joining the job market?
What is the center’s role in guiding graduates?
Career planning is a continuous and vital process that includes early start and proper planning of one's professional life.
Our center offers a wide variety of workshops and training programs to help students hone their skills and prepare for their careers.
Our programs include “Employability Skills” for high school students and a “Career Readiness Skills” program for university students and graduates, in addition to various workshops and participation in career fairs.
The career planning process includes setting professional goals and objectives, the necessary research, and interaction with professional sectors through training, volunteering, and direct communication with professionals.
In addition to honing transferable and technical skills related to the job search.
The graduate must continue to develop and develop his personal and technical skills constantly, by adopting a continuous learning mentality.
The increasing adoption of new technologies such as artificial intelligence and others in various fields of work.. How can this matter be confronted?
What do you advise graduate students to find a place for themselves in light of this great development?
Our world is currently living in a period of rapid and important changes resulting from rapid development in various fields of technology.
In light of the increasing demand for specialized skills and high precision at work, such as creativity, innovation, use of advanced technology, emotional intelligence, and critical thinking, continuous learning is increasingly important.
Despite repeated warnings about the impact of artificial intelligence technologies on some jobs, they are also capable of creating new opportunities and jobs in the fields of programming, data analysis, robotics, design and development, which enhances the labor market with the presence of innovative professionals, so the ability of these technologies to contribute positively to the economy and enhance... The labor market in Qatar depends on the availability of appropriate training and qualifications for the current and future workforce.
We, in “Your Professional Guide” magazine, have devoted the 14th issue to discussing the impact of technical development in the fields of artificial intelligence, virtual reality, financial technology, and others on all aspects of work and business, and how to adapt to it and benefit from it.
We advise all readers, including students and parents, to view this issue via our website or the “Your Career Guide” application on smart phones, given the importance of the topics discussed in it.
📌 #Qatar_Center_for_Professional_Development published the fourteenth issue of “Your Career Guide” magazine https://t.co/hPwb3XAliV
- Al-Arab Newspaper - Qatar (@AlArab_Qatar) January 1, 2024
How can graduates match their interests, skills, and abilities with available professions and jobs... and what is the center’s role in this?
Graduates should start by carefully evaluating themselves, mainly identifying and analyzing their interests and skills and conducting extensive research on careers related to their general orientation.
It is important at this stage to seek specialized advice from academic and career advisors, and to speak with professionals in potential career fields.
The Center is also keen to organize many programs that provide opportunities to experience different work environments for all age groups, not just graduates, including the “Little Employee” program designed for children between the ages of 7 and 15, the “My Career-My Future” program directed at secondary school students, and the “My Career-My Future” program. "Vocational Village".
These programs allow participants, each according to their age stage, to experience real work environments and perform some tasks in them, in addition to communicating with experienced professionals who can provide clear and detailed information about the nature of work and the capabilities and skills it requires.
These activities are the basis for true matching between interests and skills on the one hand and available professions on the other hand, in addition to teaching students the concepts of self-reliance and taking responsibility.
The Center is about to launch a new version of professional counseling sessions under the name “Al-Dalila” for guidance. What is its content?
“Al-Dalila” is an advanced version of the virtual career counseling sessions that the Center began offering years ago, and it is a quantitative and qualitative expansion compared to the previous program.
In our Qatari dialect, the name of the program means “Guidance,” and it carries connotations that are in line with the primary goal of the system of career counseling sessions on which the Center is currently based, as the career guidance and guidance experts at the Center worked during the last period to prepare and enhance the program with several additional stages of career guidance during which the Center will be accompanied by The beneficiaries of the programs are on an integrated journey specifically designed according to their needs and ambitions, aiming to put them on the optimal career path that is in line with their interests and abilities to achieve professional and personal satisfaction.
Do you think that the education fairs held in Qatar, in which universities and schools from inside and outside the country participate, are sufficient in terms of meeting students’ need to know about the opportunities available in higher education?
University fairs play an important role in providing students with comprehensive information about universities in Qatar and abroad, the academic programs available, and facilitating informed decision-making by comparing options.
Exhibitions also provide an opportunity to communicate directly with university representatives and benefit from their expertise.
However, fairs should be linked to career development services to maximize the benefit of students, by providing reliable career counseling sessions, workshops and online platforms.
It is also important to initiate academic and career guidance in schools and universities to provide students with the necessary support to make the most of university fairs.
The Qatar Center for Professional Development participated in the fifth edition of the Human Resources Forum and Exhibition in Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, which is the first forum that brings together human resources institutions and the workforce to exchange experiences and best practices in this vital sector.
The center participated in many seminars and dialogue sessions... pic.twitter.com/gtp4f30QVN
- Qatar Career Development Center (@QCDCQatar) December 27, 2023
If we talked more about the importance of mastering the skill of job interviews, and what does the center offer in this regard?
Applicants' readiness to work and their distinction in the competitive labor market depend greatly on the ability to craft a distinctive CV and manage job interviews efficiently.
The skill of conducting interviews is a crucial opportunity to shine and highlight personal skills, communication ability and problem solving in front of the employer.
The first impression plays a crucial role in making the candidate attractive to the employer.
Our center offers various workshops and training programs such as “Employability Skills” and “Career Readiness Skills,” in addition to awareness publications and articles based on the experience of guidance professionals and employment officials.
The center also issues publications and video clips that guide students in writing a CV and preparing for job interviews, with the aim of facilitating their transition from study to work efficiently.
These resources can be viewed on the center’s website and social media pages.
Source: Al Jazeera