Bringing more Emiratis into the private sector workforce will be the major focus for an upcoming education, training and careers exhibition in Abu Dhabi.

Organised by Informa Exhibitions, the fifth edition of Najah will take place from October 18 to 20 at Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre.

Young Emirati graduates looking to forge careers in the private sector are shifting their focus from pay packages to concentrate on career opportunities, Hatim Al Nuaimi, vice president for HR Talent Management at Etisalat, one of the UAE’s largest employers of Emiratis.

Due to the recent economic downturn and increased competition amongst qualified candidates for jobs, young Emiratis are no longer asking about pay and benefits, but are more interested in robust training and enhanced professional development, he said.

“Emirati graduates are more selective of where they choose to work now in the private sector and place more emphasis on career direction and development as opposed to salary,” said Al Nuaimi, at a time when the leading telecom company is recruiting 100 Emirati graduates in 2011 to add to the existing 3,200 Emiratis within the organisation.

“Last year when we interviewed candidates, the first question a graduate would ask was: ‘how much do you pay?’ Now they are asking: ‘What future career opportunities do you provide?’ We are seeing a shift in attitude which is very refreshing for us,” he added.

With approximately 16,000 fresh graduates coming onto the job market every year in the UAE, there is plenty of young talent to choose from for Etisalat and other organisations as they fulfil their annual recruitment drives.

According to the Ministry of Labour, 100,000 jobs will need to be created for UAE citizens in the next ten years.

Supported by UAE Ministry of Higher Education & Scientific Research, the Abu Dhabi Education Council, and Emirates Nationals Development Programme, Najah focuses on career, training and education opportunities in the UAE for young Emiratis.

Sponsors include Adnoc, AlHosn University and Ajman University of Science & Technology.

The UAE Federal Government is strongly focused on education with an allocated budget of Dh4.6 billion ($1.25 billion) dedicated to the education sector in 2011, reinforcing the value of preparing young Emiratis for successful careers.

A new addition for Najah 2011 are the dedicated career workshops, where industry professionals will address visitors with information and inspiration to help them make better decisions on their education or career path. – TradeArabia News Service