Jan, 2022

Career Guidance Stakeholders Platform 2022

09:30 am - 03:15 pm Virtual
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Introduction

For more than two decades Qatar’s leadership has invested great efforts in transforming the country into an advanced society capable of achieving sustainable development by 2030. Research suggests that the four pillars of the Qatar National Vision 2030, addressing economic, social, human, and environmental development goals, are interrelated through the value that career guidance and development injects at both strategic and tactical levels. This impact enables stakeholders to respond to present and future challenges.

Career guidance is also known by other terms such as ‘career development’, ‘workforce development’, ‘professional orientation’, vocational guidance and counseling’, ‘lifelong guidance’, or ‘livelihood planning’ in different countries.

Career guidance is delivered face-to-face, at distance or in a blended mode. Career Guidance includes a wide range of activities to support citizens in making educational and employment decisions, and to manage their careers. This includes one-to-one consultation, group communications, experiential learning, and timely access to information on working life training and employment opportunities.

Career guidance is not an add-on in advanced countries. It is a continuous process which enables the smooth transition of young people into further education and the world of work, and for adults needing to upskill or to move within the labor market. Career guidance is a 21st-century phenomenon enabling societies to realize the full potential of citizens in adapting to the rapidly changing world of work.

Qatar Career Development Center (QCDC) has been an active contributor in maximizing the impact of career guidance on human capital development, as it is closely connected to governmental strategies and the aspirations of the citizens of Qatar. From 2015, QCDC has significantly raised awareness of the potential of career guidance in the nation, by initiating the Qatar Career Forum and in 2016 the Career Guidance Stakeholders Platform, an informal cross-organizational network in the area of career guidance. The overall purpose has been to encourage the engagement of all career guidance stakeholders in reflective processes on collaboration, innovation, exchange of knowledge, and access to research findings. This is to enable the advancement of best practices and further support career guidance as a powerful means for the personal, social, educational, and economic success of the youth in Qatar, in particular, and the Qatari society, in general.

The 2018 Career Guidance Stakeholders Platform was hosted by QCDC under the patronage of HH Sheikha Moza bint Nasser, Chairperson of Qatar Foundation, and in partnership with UNESCO and the Ministry of Education & Higher Education. The 2018 Platform succeeded in articulating the strategic importance of career guidance within and across ministry interests, the potential of inter-ministerial and cross-industries partnerships, and the design of a future national framework for career guidance, recognizing the demand for career guidance in Qatar as one key measure in reaching the priorities of the QNV2030. This has led to recognition, rethinking of guidance provision, and increased targeted investment in the field.

Evidence generated during the 2018 Career Guidance Stakeholders Platform edition highlights the importance of:

  • Engaging key stakeholders throughout the nation, such as ministries, employers, educators, and significant others to further support the realization of young citizens’ future aspirations.
  • Introducing career development policies, strategies, frameworks, and standards that act as a powerful means for realizing the potential of future Qatari human capital and labor market development.
  • Enabling Qatari citizens to develop and sustain opportunities for further growth and prosperity, by increasing career readiness for diversified pathways including STEAM-related careers.
  • Opening opportunities for all in education, upskilling, and employment, with attention to early inclusion of people with disabilities.
  • Examining any constraints connected to female employment and career progression.
  • Supporting parents and family members in encouraging their children to engage with education and prepare for future working life.

To address the challenges identified, a set of recommendations derived from the 2018 Platform built the foundations for developing an Action Chart, with quantifiable measures and parameters, and specification of primary holder responsibilities including ministerial agencies, key academic institutions, leading NGO’s, social and entrepreneurial partners, national talent development committees, and others.

Theme

Titled “Accelerating Human Capital Development through Career Guidance under the QNV2030”, and in partnership with the Ministry of Education and Higher Education, International Labor Organization (ILO) Project Office for the State of Qatar, and Qatar Foundation (QF)’s Higher Education Division, the 2022 Platform will address strategic and tactical issues through seven thematic areas:

  • National Career Guidance Policies and Strategies
  • Multi-Channeled Career Guidance Services
  • Middle-High School Transition of People with Disabilities
  • K-12 Career Guidance in Schools
  • Employability of Higher Education Graduates
  • Transition and Upskilling of Adult Workforce
  • Harnessing Labour Market Intelligence

Representatives of key ministries and stakeholder institutions operating in public, private, and mixed sectors will be invited to reflect on these themes as active participants. The Platform will benefit from a fusion of national and international experts’ engagement, consideration of the latest international research and evidence-based solutions, and mutual sharing of needs, interests, and actions.

Objectives

Building on what has been achieved, the forthcoming Platform seeks to reflect on the progress of the 2018 Platform’s recommendations and propose 2021-2025 action steps to support the realization of QNV2030 human development pillar objectives through career guidance. Key objectives of this year’s platform include:

  • Building on the past success of the Platform as a viable national networking and synergy building mechanism for strategic and operational enhancement of career guidance in Qatar.
  • Maintaining key work on operational and strategic issues related to the process of developing career guidance policies and strategies aligned with the QNV pillar on human capital development in the country.
  • Consolidating experiences over the past two years to strengthen multi-channeled career guidance services provided locally and abroad.
  • Enhancing transition of people with disabilities from secondary education to real life with a structured career management skills framework to support inclusive employment and smooth integration into the social fabric.
  • Examining processes for streamlining and strengthening the provision of K-12 career guidance in schools that are currently limited to high school settings.
  • Boosting the employability of higher education graduates who have been adversely affected by the pandemic.
  • Collecting evidence to address current skills gaps or obsolete skills, and emergent future demands to effectively support adult workforce transitioning and upskilling.
  • Developing a post-platform action plan to accelerate national human capital development by 2030 through career guidance in the State of Qatar.

 

Platform Program

 

Time Activity
09:30 – 09: 45 Exploring the event virtual platform
09:45 – 10:30 Special opening speeches & keynote address by:

·      Mr. Abdulla Al-Mansoori

Director, Qatar Career Development Center

·      Mr. Francisco Marmolejo

Higher Education President & Education Advisor, Qatar Foundation

·      Mr. Max Tuñón

Head, International Labor Organization (ILO) Project Office for the State of Qatar

·      Dr. Antony Mann

Senior Policy Analyst, Education and Skills Directorate, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)

·      Dr. Raimo Vuorinen

Adjunct Associate Professor, University of Jyväskylä

 
10:30 – 11:30 “Accelerating Human Capital Development in Qatar” Panel Discussion with representatives from:

·      Civil Service and Government Development Bureau

·      Ministry of Education and Higher Education

·      Qatar Energy

·      Qatar Foundation
11:30 – 12:00 Break
12:00 – 01:30 Stakeholder Focus Groups – Insight Sessions Part 1
01:30 – 01:45 Break
01:45 – 3:15 Stakeholder Focus Groups – Insight Sessions Part 2

 

Technical Committee

  • Tajalsir Kardaman (Chair)

Manager, Career Programs and Services, Qatar Career Development Center (QCDC)

  • Francisco Marmolejo (Member)

Higher Education President & Education Advisor, Qatar Foundation

  • Raimo Vuorinen (Member)

Adjunct Associate Professor, University of Jyväskylä

  • David Marsh (Member)

Member, Academic Advisory Council, EduClusterFinland, University of Jyväskylä Group, Finland

  • Effrosyni Parampota (Member)

Senior Officer, Career Programs and Services, Qatar Career Development Center (QCDC)

  • Anthony Mann (Member)

Senior Policy Analyst, Education and Skills Directorate, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)

  • Pedro Moreno da Fonseca (Member)

Technical Specialist, International Labour Organization (ILO)

Moderators of Focus Groups

  • National Career Guidance Policies and Strategies
    • Raimo Vuorinen (Chair)
    • Tajalsir Kardaman (Co-Chair)
  • Multi-Channeled Career Guidance Services
    • Jaana Kettunen (Chair)
    • Hussein Ala’a (Co-Chair)
  • Middle-High School Transition of People with Disabilities
    • Effrosyni Parampota (Chair)
    • Stephen Shore (Co-Chair)
  • K-12 Career Guidance in Schools
    • Abdulla Al Marri (Chair)
    • Hamda Al Naimi (Co-Chair)
  • Employability of Higher Education Graduates
    • David Marsh (Chair)
    • Mohammed Fakhroo (Co-Chair)
  • Transition and Upskilling of Adult Workforce
    • Glenda Quintini (Chair)
  • Harnessing Labour Market Intelligence
    • Pablo de Holan (Co-Chair)
    • Leslie Pal (Co-Chair)

Participating Entities

  • Ministry of Education and Higher Education
  • Ministry of Labour
  • Civil Service and Government Development Bureau
  • Ministry of Social Development and Family
  • Ministry of Communications and Information Technology
  • Qatar Computing Research Institute
  • MADA
  • TASMU
  • National Talent Development Committees
  • Qatar Foundation divisions and entities:
    • Higher Education Division
    • Community Development Division
    • Pre-University Education Division
    • Research, Development, and Innovation Division
    • Hamad Bin Khalifa University
    • Partner Universities
    • Education Development Institute
    • The Learning Center
    • Awsaj Academy
    • Relevant others
  • Qatar Development Bank
  • Qatar Career Development Association
  • Other local universities (Qatar University, Community College Qatar, College of North Atlantic, City College, Doha Institute for Graduate Studies, Northumbria University in Qatar, Aberdeen)
  • Qatar Society for Rehabilitation of Special Needs
  • Qatari Autism Society
  • Shafallah
  • Qatar Social and Cultural Center for the Blind