Emiratisation, women’s employment, and ways in which the region can leverage the global economic downturn, were some of the topics that were discussed at a roundtable organised by Dubai Knowledge Village, a member of Tecom Investments.

Titled ‘Turning on the Talent Pipeline: What are the skills challenges for the UAE?’, the roundtable brought valuable perspectives to the table on the general concern about skills and capability, especially in numeracy and written communication.

The lack of ‘soft skills’ and emotional intelligence among the youth in the region were also highlighted.

Organised in conjunction with the UK-based Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD), a leading HR and development group that boasts over 133,000 individual members, the event drew the participation of leading HR professionals in the UAE.

'The objective of hosting such an event was to focus on creating the right enabling environment for the new generation by implementing world-class human resources management practices across Dubai and the UAE,' stated Ibrahim Jamel, director, Dubai Knowledge Village.

The discussions underlined a strong need for Emiratis to take up HR and other senior roles in an organisation.

Highlighting the reluctance in the region to adopt flexible working hours, the discussions underscored the view that offering such a convenience to Emirati women would successfully enhance their participation in social progress.-TradeArabia News Service