Future Skills Academy Launched To Empower Individuals Across The Arab World Through Education And Skills Development

The Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Knowledge Foundation (MBRF) has partnered with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) to launch the ‘Future Skills Academy’. This initiative, part of the ‘Knowledge Project’, aims to empower individuals across the Arab world. The announcement was made during the ‘Digitalization for Sustainable Development’ event at the 79th session of the UN General Assembly in New York.

Key figures present included Omran Sharaf, UAE Assistant Foreign Minister for Advanced Science and Technology; Osama Abdel Khalek, Egypt's Permanent Representative to the UN; Haoliang Xu, UN Under-Secretary-General; Mohammed Al Mannai, Qatar's Minister of Communications and Information Technology; and Amr Talaat, Egypt's Minister of Communications and Information Technology.

The academy is a significant part of the FutureSkills4All Initiative launched last year. Its primary goal is to empower people in Arab countries through educational programmes that enhance their skills. This empowerment aims to prepare them for future job opportunities, promoting sustainable economic growth in the region.

The academy plans to reach over a million people across the Arab world. It seeks to meet government demands for specialised training programmes designed to close educational gaps through partnerships. Additionally, it addresses unemployment challenges by aligning job market needs with graduates' skills.

Abdallah Al Dardari from UNDP highlighted that this academy marks a crucial step towards a sustainable future. Its mission is to bridge the digital divide by enhancing digital capabilities in local communities. By providing essential resources, it empowers organisations and partnerships to leverage global digital economy opportunities.

The academy will offer certified programmes both online and in-person. These are aimed at students, professionals, entrepreneurs, educators, and government officials. It acts as a catalyst for knowledge-driven initiatives supporting global digitalisation efforts like Digitalisation for Sustainable Development (DT4SD).

Fostering Innovation and Inclusion

The academy promotes innovation by equipping individuals with essential digital skills needed for transformation. It enhances social innovation through partnerships with universities and private sectors. This enriches learning experiences and improves practical educational outcomes while addressing labour market inequalities.

Jamal bin Huwaireb, CEO of MBRF, stated: "This initiative aligns with MBRF’s commitment to spreading knowledge globally to support community development. The academy embodies our continuous dedication to bridging gaps, advancing the knowledge economy, and promoting human development across the Arab region by equipping individuals with essential skills and directly linking education to employment opportunities."

Addressing Labour Market Needs

The academy plays a vital role in enhancing skills across sectors such as health, education, environment, governance, and policy-making. This is crucial as youth make up nearly half of the region’s population. A significant portion faces unemployment or is preparing to enter the workforce.

Recent statistics reveal a growing gap between individual skills and labour market demands in the Arab region. Despite 70% internet access since 2022, only 1.7% are recognised as ‘digital talents’. The academy aims to address these disparities by offering tailored educational programmes.

A Platform for Knowledge Exchange

The Knowledge Summit is an annual event highlighting insights driving technological trends and knowledge ecosystems in the Arab world. It gathers leaders, experts, visionaries, and policymakers to exchange ideas on future developments from knowledge perspectives.

This summit underscores MBRF’s role in fostering innovation through initiatives that enhance community skills while advancing Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). By launching training programmes designed to empower individuals within communities globally.

The ‘Knowledge Project’ results from strategic collaboration between UNDP and MBRF aiming at accessible knowledge-based societies promoting sustainable development through dialogue enhancement around significance-driven policies using outputs like 'Global Knowledge Index' (GKI).

With inputs from WAM