This presentation was invited by Qatar University’s Training Managers Forum as an input to its foundation meeting. The Arabization of the concept of knowledge economy is discussed along with typology to classify the source of skills gaps in the Arab World. The presentation closes with observations on the difficulty of scientifically measuring skills gaps in the region with a specific emphasis on operationalizing a measurement mechanism in Qatar.

1. Measuring Skill Gaps in Qatar
and the Arab World
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Observations on the difficulty of scientifically measuring skills
▲
Public Sector
gaps in the region with a specific emphasis on Qatar
Social Sector
Corporate Responsibility
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2. Popular theories suggests intangibles are becoming a more important driver of modern
economic growth in the transition to knowledge-based economies
Knowledge-based
Through public policy and institutions, Economic
governments influence long-run growth Development
Financial and
Intangible capital
other tangible capital
Economic Computerized
Capital markets Infrastructure Capital equipment Innovative property information (programs
Competencies and databases)
Brand equity
R&D (patents, licenses and
Economic growth can be affected by public policies (investments to retain or gain
general know-how) and
market share and investment
mineral exploration
and Institutions concerned with in brand names)
• International trade and openness Organizational capital
Creative property
(investments in strategic
• Education and training policies planning, adaptation,
(innovative/artistic content in
commercial copyrights,
• Domestic and foreign Investment climate organizational structures and
licenses and designs)
business processes)
• Macroeconomic and competitive policy
• Financial markets
• Institutional quality of government Firm-specific human
capital (employee
• Security skills)
• The availability of public services and infrastructure Knowledge Components of KBE
Source: Corrado, Hulten and Sichel (2006)
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3. Knowledge-based economic development emerged as a policy goal in the early 90s due
to the regional commonality of several economic, socio-political, and cultural factors
Regional Drivers Illustrative Regional Development Challenges
1
• Dependence on foreign technologies
• Shortages/difficulty in finding/developing qualified employees
• Low capacity to transfer technologies
• Capital formation has not led to higher value industry or exports
Economic • Low levels of total factor productivity
• Suboptimal environment for business, entrepreneurship, and FDI
• Volatile oil prices leading to regional booms and busts
• Low R&D spending
Knowledge-
2
based Economic
Development • Youth bulge
• Supply of highly educated youth has outpaced job creation
Socio-political • Education systems are not well suited to the needs of KBED
• Political reform has proceeded at varying rates
• Work of international organizations has encouraged KBED
3
• Religious importance of the quest for learning and knowledge
Cultural • Brain drain of prominent academics and scientists
• Perception the region is lagging behind in development
Sources: Al-Ali 1991, Sawhel 2009, Djeflat 2009, Program 2002, Hertog 2010, Program 2003, United Nations Educational 2010, Dhillion and Yousef 2009, Program 2010, Foundation and Program 2009, House
2011, Miller and Holmes 2011
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4. Knowledge-based economic development in the Arab World is closely intertwined with
economic and social development issues
Emerging Thinking on Knowledge-based Empirically Established Links Between Human
Economic Development in the Arab World Capital and Social and Economic Development
Closely intertwined with policies that support Several social and economic benefits are attributed
to higher levels of human capital:
 Economic integration and diversification
 Innovation Social Outcomes
 Technology development
 Entrepreneurship • Higher levels of educational attainment
 Job creation/workforce skills development • Increased health
 Education and training system reform • Efficiency of consumer choices
 Environmental sustainability • Higher levels of savings and charitable giving
 Social development • Social cohesion
 Healthcare reform • Increased self-reliance and econ. independence
 ICT infrastructure development • Reduced Crime
Economic Outcomes
Significant
emphasis on • Growth and competitiveness
human capital • Enabling comparative advantage
• Increased productivity
• Domestic innovation
• Speeding technology adoption
Sources: Powell and Snellman 2004, Planning 2010, Rischard 2009
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5. Similar to Qatar in the QNV 2030, many Arab countries have embraced knowledge-based
economic development while stressing similar human capital development goals
Justification for Knowledge-based Specific Human Capital Objectives Identified
Economy as a Goal in National Development Plan in National Development Plan
Country Improving Access Improving Health, Increasing Female
Economic Economic Environmental Social and Quality of Safety, and or Private Sector Increasing
Job Creation Integration Diversification Sustainability Development Education Environment Labor Participation Entrepreneurship
Algeria
Bahrain
Egypt
Iraq
Jordan
Kuwait
Lebanon
Libya
Morocco
Oman
Palestine
Qatar
Saudi Arabia
Sudan
Syria
Tunisia
UAE
Explicitly stated as a justification for knowledge-based economic development goals or as a supporting human capital objective
Not stated as a justification for knowledge-based economic development goals or as a supporting human capital objective
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6. Many of the Arab countries , including Qatar, face workforce skills deficiencies that slow
knowledge-based economic development and negatively impact high skill industries
10
(as proxied by the World Bank Knowledge Economy Index Ranking)
High Skills Equilibrium
United Kingdom Germany
9 How does Ireland
Employer Demand for higher, knowledge-intensive skills
Estonia • Strong demand for high level skills
High
Qatar make Czech Republic
Spain
Hungary
Korea, Rep.
• Skills formulation institutions and the
8 Lithuania
enabling environment work in tandem
the transition? Latvia
Slovak Republic
Poland Croatia
Portugal
Greece • Knowledge-based economies with
Chile Bulgaria lower levels of skills gaps
7 United Arab Emirates Qatar
Romania Uruguay
Bahrain Malaysia Costa Rica
Kuwait
6 Brazil Russia
Serbia
Turkey • The perception of Arab employers
Medium
Saudi Arabia Jordan Oman Mexico Africa
South
may deter entry into knowledge-
Belarus based industries which are perceived
5 Colombia Lebanon
China to require skills unavailable in the
Egypt Tunisia Sri Lanka Philippines national workforce or too costly to
Morocco Botswana Azerbaijan build internally
4
Bolivia Vietnam
Cape Verde Indonesia
Syria Honduras
India
Guatemala Swaziland
3 Kenya
Algeria
Senegal
Uganda
Pakistan
Ghana Low Skills Equilibrium
Zambia Yemen Tanzania
Lesotho
Burkina
2 Nepal • Employers face few skill gaps in a
Low
Faso Mozambique Cambodia
Bangladesh
Ethiopia Eritrea predominantly low skilled workforce
Rwanda
Guinea
• Little incentive to participate in
1 education and training and raise
qualification levels and aspirations
0
0.00% 10.00% 20.00% 30.00% 40.00% 50.00% 60.00% 70.00% 80.00% 90.00% 100.00%
Low Medium High
% of firms with sufficient internal skills levels
Source:Author’s analysis of World Bank Enterprise Survey
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7. Employers, particularly in the GCC, face both “skills shortages” as well as “skills gaps” that
limit performance and achievement of business objectives
My Research Focus
Skills Shortages Skills Gaps
Skill Shortage
Skills Gap
Desired
Quantity of
Internal
Workers
Workforce
With a Quantity of Current
Skill Level
Particular Workers Internal
Skill With a Workforce
Required Particular Skill Level
Skill
Available
• Genuine lack of adequately skilled individuals available • Employers feel that their existing workforce has inadequate
in the labor market with the type of skill being sought skill types/levels to meet their business objectives
• Employers unable to recruit staff with the skills they • New entrants to the labor market trained and qualified for
are looking for at the going rate of pay occupations but still lack a variety of the skills required
7
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8. Skills deficiencies have severely negative impacts on firms in the region
Internal firm deficiencies
External labor market deficiencies
Skills Well Functioning Labor Markets Employers Require Effective
Formation Require Allocative Efficiency Firm-level Utilization of Workforce Skills
Objective
Workforce skills levels meet the expectations of
Preparation of individuals with the skills, work experience, employers either in terms of full occupational
Description and qualifications in the quantity and quality to meet labor
of Objective proficiency or in the ability to meet business
market needs objectives with current workforce skills levels
Impact on Skills shortages requiring expatriate reliance for Even when employees are hired, many still have skills
firm if skills technical/commercial roles such as gaps requiring remediation through measures such as
formation Technical Roles Commercial Roles
Discipline Engineering Finance • Increased training and trainee programs
system is Geology/Geophysics Business Analysis • More staff appraisals / performance reviews
weak Process Engineering Contracting & Procurement • Implementation of mentoring / buddying schemes
Product/Process Human Resources • More supervision
Research Information Technology • Changing working practices and redefining jobs
Production Engineering Sales & Marketing • Reallocation of work within the company
Production Technology Supply & Distribution • Outsourcing to external providers
Project/Facilities Trading • Using government resources / funding
Engineering O&G • Incentives/rewards/recognition
Reservoir/Petroleum Example • Sending employees for certification
Engineering • Providing cross functional exposure to the business
Well Engineering
Influence on Medium to severe, but recruiting from outside Severe because skills gaps influence many
business Qatar is a short-term solution to what is a large- aspects of current operations including
operations scale, systemic problem efficiency, service, and profitability
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9. The changing demands of knowledge-based economic development create a need for
interdependence and collaborative networks for effective skills formation
WORK IN PROCESS
Education and Training System Business Community
• Ensuring Relevancy and Employability • Workforce Investment
• Quality Assurance Qualitative and • Workforce Development
quantitative
• Expanding Access supply-demand
match Facilitate
regular,
on-the-job
National Skills training and
participation
Link
Formation System in skills
economic for Knowledge- formation
development based
• Coordination with E&T Development
• Aligning
system • Investment
Optimization
Macroeconomic Policy Address policy,
informational, or
With Skills financial sources of • Lifelong-learning
Formation underinvestment
• Broad-based, Critical Government
Coordination Points
Inclusive Skills Formation
Government Individuals
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10. Yet several failures of the skill formation system can lead to skills gaps
Market and Institutional 1 2 3
Failure Induced Skills Gaps Transitional Skills Gaps Structural Skills Gaps
A gap caused by structural policy or A temporary gap between the skills of A mismatch between employee skills and
government institutional failure due to: current employees and the skills needed to requirements of employers due to:
meet business objectives which decreases
Poor Macroeconomic Policy as employees gain confidence in their jobs Poor Staff Development and Retainment
• Misalignment of education system with or complete training due to:
development due to rapid technical and Staff Development
organizational change or industrial policy Incomplete Orientation and Integration • Failure to train and develop staff
• Lack of experience • Inability of older staff to acquire
Education & Training System Misalignment • Recently recruited necessary new knowledge and skills
• Lack of funds, bureaucratic management, • Training program only partially completed • Low or no training budget
poor remuneration, and low standards • Recent merger/acquisition • Lack of commitment by senior leaders to
leading to irrelevant curricula, poor teaching, employee learning and development
and an emphasis on abstract rather than Lack of Motivation
practical training • Staff lack motivation Staff Retainment
• Firms may hire staff requiring more training • High staff turnover
in the face of skills shortages • Retrenchments
• Lack of specialized institutions to provide
appropriate training Evolving Business Objectives
• Lack of interaction between firms and
specialized training institutions Strategy-skill lag
• Changes in company strategy, goals,
Insufficient Individual Investment markets or business models
• Individuals may not know the future value of • New products and services
skills investments • New working practices
• Preference for more certain short term • New technology
returns to available jobs
• Training offering no certification less Changing job requirements
attractive as value to other firms is reduced • Inability of workforce to keep up with change
• Legislation that raises wages above the • Scope of job increasing
market level reduces training investment
• When pay and status are not linked to
qualifications incentives are reduced
Source: (Acemoglu and Pischke 1996; Research 1996; Lall 1999; Ziderman 2003)
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11. The GCC countries, in particular, appear to have significant levels of skills gaps
Rank Country and Survey Year
% of Total Firms Suveyed
Which Have a Major or Rank Country and Survey Year
% of Total Firms Suveyed
Which Have a Major or Observations
Very Severe Skills Gap Very Severe Skills Gap
1 Brazil 2009 73.03% 42 Oman 2007 MBRF 33.00%
2 Kuwait 2007 MBRF 68.00% 43 Chile 2006 32.06%
3
4
Egypt 2007 MBRF
Chad 2009
66.00%
57.33%
44
45
Uzbekistan 2008
Peru 2006
31.97%
31.33%
• Kuwait, Egypt, KSA, UAE
5
6
Belarus 2008
CapeVerde 2009
55.31%
53.85%
46
47
China 2002
Dominican Republic 2005
30.73%
30.67%
amongst the top ten
7 Saudi Arabia 2007 MBRF 53.00% 48 Estonia 2009 30.40%
8 UAE 2007 MBRF 51% 49 Tunisia 2007 MBRF 30.00%
9 Kazakhstan 2009 50.18% 50 Malawi 2009 30.00% • Maghreb countries and
51
10
11
Russia 2009
Argentina 2006
48.90%
48.35% 52
Thailand 2004
Egypt 2004
29.96%
29.80% Egypt moved up the
12
13
Morocco 2007 MBRF
Romania 2009
47.00%
46.21%
53
54
Kyrgyz Republic 2009
Guatemala 2006
29.36%
29.31%
ranking significantly
14 Algeria 2007 MBRF 45.00% 55 Vanuatu 2009 28.91%
15 Mauritius 2009 44.97% 56 Yemen 2010 28.72%
16 Micronesia 2009 44.12% 57
58
Kenya 2003 27.64% • Levant countries and
17 Ukraine 2008 43.48% Slovak Republic 2009 27.64%
18 Lithuania 2009 43.12% 59 Samoa 2009 27.52% Bahrain in the lower 20s
19 Moldova 2009 42.98% 60 Venezuela 2006 27.40%
20 Tonga 2009 42.67% 61 El Salvador 2006 27.27%
21
22
Latvia 2009
Jamaica 2005
41.70%
41.57%
62
63
Georgia 2008
Turkey 2008
27.08%
26.82%
• Qatar and Oman in 30s
23 Gabon 2009 41.34% 64 Bolivia 2006 26.26%
24 Congo 2009 40.40% 65 Algeria 2002 25.47%
25 Guyana 2004 40.37% 66 Honduras 2006 25.46% • Though there are some
26 Bahrain 2007 MBRF 40.00% 67 Colombia 2006 25.40%
27 Niger 2009 38.67% 68 Benin 2009 25.33% differences in the data that
28
29
Lebanon 2006
Jordan 2007 MBRF
37.96%
37.00%
69
70
Czech Republic 2009
Laos 2009
25.20%
25.00%
are hard to reconcile
30 Syria 2003 36.33% 71 Malaysia 2002 25.00%
31 Paraguay 2006 36.22% 72 Armenia 2009 24.06%
32 BurkinaFaso 2009 35.79% 73 Namibia 2006 23.71%
33 Zambia 2002 35.75% 74 Uruguay 2006 23.51%
34 Cameroon 2009 35.26% 75 Botswana 2006 22.22%
35
36
Qatar 2007 MBRF
Tajikistan 2008
35.00%
35.00%
76
77
Mauritania 2006
Croatia 2007
22.03%
21.64%
• 35% of private sector
37 Oman 2003 34.63% 78 SriLanka 2004 21.33% employers in Qatar
38 Poland 2009 34.51% 79 Morocco 2004 21.06%
39 Albania 2007 33.88% 80 Mali 2003 20.78% indicate a skills gap
40 Ecuador 2006 33.13% 81 Bosnia and Herzegovina 2009 20.50%
41 Ivory Coast 2009 32.32% 82 Bulgaria 2009 20.14%
Data Source: MBRF-PWC Report World bank Enterprise Survey
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12. If generalizable to Qatar, graduates are lacking in both hard and soft skills
Percentage of HR managers who agreed that newly hired Hard Skills
students have appropriate skills Soft Skills
University Vocational
29 Graduates
16 Graduates
Egypt
26 12
22 10
Jordan
25 16
33 36
Morocco
28 25
51 41
Saudi
Arabia 45 38
29 23
Yemen
26 19
Source: e4e Employer Survey
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13. If generalizable to Qatar, training by employers is focused primarily on hard skills
Percentage of HR managers who indicated their firm provides training
Hard Skills
in hard vs. soft skills
Soft Skills
94
Egypt
45
79
Jordan
32
87
Morocco
42
71
Saudi
Arabia 26
93
Yemen
50
Source: e4e Employer Survey
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14. However, it is unclear what the normative threshold to which internal skills levels should be
compared: Should surveys be measuring skills levels relative to proficiency performing a
particular job or relative to achieving macro firm-level goals?
Skills deficiencies internal
•
to the firm How do firms prioritize training needs
in an environment with significant
hard and soft skills gaps? Do firms
train to meet business objectives or
for occupational proficiency? Who
Skills should pay for general skills training?
Formation Effective Firm-level Utilization
Objective of Workforce Skills • Is the training preference for hard
skills more associated with meeting
business objectives?
Description Workforce skills levels meet the expectations of
of Objective employers either in terms of full occupational • Soft skill training is risky due to
proficiency or in the ability to meet business poaching. Is there a bias towards
objectives with current workforce skills levels hard skill training due to employee
poaching , preferences for public
Lack of sector employment, and the wage
conceptual premium in the public sector?
Evidence of Skills Gaps clarity
a Deficiency • Are competency assessments based
• Current workforce has inadequate skill types/levels
on occupational proficiency and the
to meet business objectives
assumption of adequate soft skills
OR
suitable in an environment where
• Employers perceive current employees to be less
there are large gaps in hard and soft
than fully proficient to perform their current jobs
skills?
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15. The NDS advances several initiatives aimed at existing skills formation weaknesses, but few
are aimed at employees disadvantaged by previous skills formation failures
Priority Target Satements Initiatives and Key Deliverables and Milestones
Target 1: Include work skills in the national
• Align the national curriculum with the objectives for creating effective
curriculum including implmenting initiatives to
Increase awareness participants in the knowledge economy
foster student exposure to work environments
of skills required in
future work Target 2: Operationalize work skills in the
• Encourage schools to hold workshops with key employers to learn about
environments national curriculum and enhance the
their skill requirements and gaps in the skills of new graduates
performance of academic and vocational
• Career counselors in schools to advise on education and career paths
guidance in schools
Target 1: Increase the proportion of students • Launch a campaign aimed at increasing enrolment in courses suitable
Prepare Qataris for graduating with qualifications needed in the for a knowledge economy
employment in the knowledge economy by 65%-75% • Incentivize Qatari enrolment in knowledge economy courses
knowledge economy Target 2: Provide diverse post-secondary • Conduct studies on workforce needs and assess the gap between
education pathways to meet labor market needs education output and requirements
Develop a regulatory • Appoint an oversight body and determine process model
Target 1: Define and implement standards tor a
framework to align • Determine the scope of the National Qualification Framework
National Qualifications framework
technical education • Decide on the reference model and structure
and vocational • Build on the existing vocational education training initiative in deciding on
training with the Target 2: Develop and implement a system of international standards to be adopted by Qatar
education sector and occupational standards for relevant professions • Customize occupational standards
labor market needs • Appoint an oversight body and determine organizations and processes
Target 1: Develop and implement a plan
Align technical and • Determine and prioritize needs for the different types of TEVT
aligning TEVT programs with the needs of the
vocational training • Develop an implementation plan
labor market
programs and
outputs with the Target 2: Develop and industry partnership • Conduct a benchmarking study on best practices related to partnership
needs of society and model accepted by all stakeholders • Determine key areas and projects for TEVT partnerships with industry
the labor market
Target 3: Establish a first partnership • Integrate partnership into the regulatory framework
Increase prominence Target 2: Incorporate TEVT options into career • Develop a TEVT career counseling system, including the necessary
of TEVT programs counseling legislative and regulatory systems
K-12 Higher Education Technical and Vocational Education
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16. International experience suggests several options for intervention in training markets
Policy Options
Government Government
Reason for Intervention Subsidy of Training Provision of Training Complementary Policies
Externalities None
Property rights (employer Levy-grant schemes
fear of poaching)
Market imperfections Deal with sources of
(economic and social imperfections if
policy distortion) politically possible
Inadequate Firm-based Build firm training
training capacity; levy-grant
schemes
Weak private training Build up private
provision training capacity
Reduce subsidies to
Create equal opportunity trainees' peers,
selective scholarships
Targeted training
Disadvantaged groups subsidies;
employment creation;
Source: Ziderman (2003) income redistribution
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17. There are several changes which appear necessary to improve the measurement and
response to skills gaps; Here are a few thoughts …
• There are potentially major flaws in current measurement approaches that lead to several sources of
bias and necessitate a 360 degree approach – HR, employee, direct line managers, CxOs
• To more effectively measure technical skills gaps, there needs to be standardization of occupational
skills questions to go beyond identifying soft skills as a source of skills gaps
• There is a need to more effectively link particular skills with the achievement of firm objectives rather
than focus on occupational proficiency exclusively; This allows us to relate particular skill gaps to
achieving both business and national economic development objectives
 Skills gaps are generally resolved through training yet the criticality of a particular skills gap to
achieving business objectives is usually not measured. This might mean training programs to
resolve skills gaps are misguided in that they focus on skills which may not affect the macro level
business objectives of the firm directly
• There is a need to pinpoint the source of skills gaps to suggest and determine an appropriate response;
It is not always the education system at fault and potentially there are intervening labor market,
organizational behavior, and socio-cultural issues at play
• There is a need for more rigorous academic work on the subject – single, direct question consulting
surveys get headlines but don’t solve the problem
• Supply-side interventions in the education and training system are unable to backfill previous skills
formation system failures which impact firms in Qatar now. What do we do once we identify skills gaps?
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18. Questions for group discussion
1. Assuming there was a national survey of skills gaps in Qatar, what would be the most
appropriate threshold against which to assess current workforce skills levels? Should we be
measuring gaps relative to a firm’s workforce to perform their present job or relative to current
workforce skills sufficiency to meeting business objectives? Should we be asking:
 How many of your current employees are fully proficient to perform their current jobs? or
 Is the a gap between the skills of current employees and the skills needed to meet business objectives?
2. What are the main causes of some of your employees having skills gaps (See slide 10 for some
common causes)?
3. At which level does your organization face the most skills gaps? In which departments of your
organization is the skills gap most evident?
For example, CEOs/ Board/Business owners, Senior Managers, Middle Managers, Skilled Trades, Sales and customer
services staff, Administrative/clerical staff, IT staff, Other
4. What action, if any, is your organization taking to overcome skills gaps?
Some common approaches include: Increased training activity spend or increased/expanded trainee programs, Increased
recruitment activity/ spend, More staff appraisals/performance reviews, Implementation of mentoring / buddying scheme,
More supervision of staff, Recruiting expatriate workers, Changing working practices, subcontracting more work, Automating
certain tasks, Redefining jobs, Reallocating work within the company, Sending employees for certification, Providing
employees with cross functional exposure to business, Building up team spirit/motivation, Making staff redundant/Disciplinary
action, Increasing salaries, Incentives/rewards/recognition
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19. Questions for group discussion
5. What barriers prevent your organization providing more training to overcome skills gaps?
Some common reasons are: Lack of cover for training, Lack of time for training, Lack of funding for training, Lack of suitable
courses, Unwillingness of staff to undertake training, High staff turnover, etc.
6. Do labor market conditions and preferences in Qatar shape the type of training firms provide?
Is there a bias towards hard skill training in Qatar over general skills training due to employee
poaching, early labor market exit by women, preferences for public sector employment, and the
wage premium in the public and semi government sectors etc.?
7. In what ways do workforce skills gaps currently impact the performance of your organization?
Some potential impacts might be: Loss of business or orders to competitors, Lower profits, Inability to meet business
performance goals, Delay developing new products or services, Difficulties meeting quality standards, Increased operating
costs, Difficulties introducing new working practices, Increased workload for other staff, Increased outsourcing of work,
Difficulty meeting customer service objectives, Difficulties introducing technological change, The need to withdraw from
offering certain products or services altogether, Restricted business development or withdrawal from markets, Loss of quality
in the service, Loss of efficiency/increased waste, More strain on the management, Increased recruitment costs, More stress
on employees, Lower staff morale, Losing some high performing employees etc.
8. What would be the most effective way to increase cooperation between the business
community, education and training institutions, and the Qatari government to bridge current
employee skills gaps?
9. What would be the most effective way to increase cooperation between the business
community, education and training institutions, and the Qatari government to ensure firms are
able to hire graduates with sufficient skills to avoid remedial training? Are the proposed
interventions in the NDS enough?
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20. Mind map: Measuring and Resolving Skills Gaps in Qatar Proficiency vs. Business Objectives
• Depends on the level of employee/industry
• Lack of training • 2 levels of proficiency: Basic level – should be
• Training needs not known due agreed by industry; Industry-specific: should
to lack of JDs for example include more in depth skills in line with employee
• Weak relationship between Causes proficiency and business objectives
education and specific (Q2, Q6) National • At more senior levels business objectives more
professions Survey important
• Must raise cultural awareness (Q1) • Assess relative to perform their present job
that each person is
Remediation
responsible for themselves
• Restructuring training dep.
and skills
• Increased assessment
• Lack of career counseling and
• Career cent. to reposition emp.
role models in high schools
• Mentoring
• Managers do not know
themselves the skills needed Skills Org. • Conferences
• e-learning
= latency
Gaps in Actions to • Certification
• Culturally shaped lack of
willingness to delegate Qatar Overcome Barriers
• On the job training is not (Q4,Q5) • Fear of nationalization
adequate • No mechanism or incentive to
• Industry switchers need Impacts transfer expat knowledge
training or a mentor • No link to KPIs/ comp.
(Q3, Q7)
• Older employees hesitant to Current Gaps
training Bus, • IAD exists which is focused on public sector training
E&T, Gov, • Government provides training funds through entities
• Customer service, dealing with work • Community service
stress, interpersonal skills Cooperation • Informal professional network to arrange visits and
• Occur at all levels – entry level fresh grads, (Q8, Q9) experience sharing
middle mgmt. to deal with senior and • Top down approach with MOE, MOL, and universities
juniors, senior management due to Preventing Future Gaps • Dictionary of titles with skills reference points for
centralized decision making • Work experience programs employers, schools, trainers etc.
• Reputational risk • University must increase link to specific • Mandatory skills standards – Univ. encourages,
• Departmental and organizational jobs roles through work experience, employers ensure, govt. defines
performance career services center • Gov. and com efforts publicized
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