UAE parents among most career-minded globally: Report

In today's increasingly competitive world, parents believe that a university education from a reputable institution is essential for their children to achieve their life goals.
Examining the views of over 5,550 parents across 16 countries, with over 450 from the UAE, HSBC's 'Value of Education 2015: Learning for life' report showed that parents across the world are recognising that their children face a tougher job market today, with nearly half of UAE parents with university-age children (48 per cent) reflecting this sentiment.
With the increasing complexity in global markets, and a middle class population boom in emerging economies, driving the race for premium careers worldwide, new generations of university graduates will need to become increasingly qualified academically in order to stand out from the competition.
This will require years of higher education and this belief is becoming increasingly apparent among UAE parents, as the HSBC report revealed that over 92 per cent believe that a university education is necessary for their children.
"It's not surprising to see that parents today are becoming increasingly concerned about the career prospects for their children. Over the last ten years, we have seen growing volatility in global markets, and the increasingly interconnected nature of the economy today means that its effects are being felt by people across the world. This complex environment reveals the reason parents are relying on higher education to give their children the foundation they need to succeed in life," said Khalid Elgibali, head of retail banking and wealth management, UAE and Mena, HSBC Bank Middle East.
HSBC's research also shows that parents have high aspirations for their children's education. Those in the UAE are among the most career-minded globally, with 89 per cent having considered a specific occupation for their children. One-third (33 per cent) hope for their children to study medicine - the highest proportion globally to express this sentiment - while other popular careers include engineering (16 per cent) and computer science (11 per cent).
Consequently, 80 per cent of parents here think it is vital for their children to get a postgraduate degree, the second highest globally to express this sentiment.
"We see that as early as the pre-primary school, more than four in five (87 per cent) parents have thought about what they would like their children to be when they grow up. However, the requirements needed to support these aspirations are being left till much later even though parents recognise the value of university education. With an increasingly competitive marketplace, tertiary education will only become increasingly important, but parents in the UAE need to start looking at this more pro-actively if they are going to give their children the foundation they need to succeed in their endeavours," Elgibali added.          
- rohma@khaleejtimes.com