UAE pursues sustainable learning to achieve development goals, says Education Minister

The advanced skills strategy establishes the concept of lifelong learning for citizens and residents in the UAE in order to achieve development goals, said a top official.

Dr Ahmed Belhoul Al Falasi, the UAE Minister of Education, pointed out that the strategy identifies the main categories of future skills, namely: basic skills, competencies, personal characteristics, and specialised skills, in order to provide learners and students with sustainable, flexible skills that are applicable to various professions and sectors and are characterised by continuity for life.

Al Falasi made the remarks on Tuesday during a session on the mechanisms for developing educational programs to serve the goals of the “skills refining initiative” which was held as part of the agenda for the UAE delegation's participation in the World Economic Forum.

Develop future skills

Al Falasi stressed that there is an urgent need at the global level to develop human cadres in order to meet the requirements of the labour market. This calls for developing the education methodology and benefiting from innovative teaching methods in a way that supports efforts to develop future skills, and gives priority to future skills such as analytical thinking, and being flexible so as to deal with different variables, the ability to work in different environments, and the acquisition of self-leadership skills, work skills, learning and digital communication.

He noted that the UAE government continues to employ Artificial Intelligence and other technologies to improve the competencies of its human cadres in various fields.

As part of government's efforts to diversify the national economy, Al Falasi said the UAE adopts a knowledge-based economy and supports digital economy, which required doubling the use of smart and sustainable solutions to promote entrepreneurship.