Jun 03, 2018

QCDC TAKES PART IN ASIA PACIFIC CAREER DEVELOPMENT ASSOCIATION ANNUAL CONFERENCE

Qatar Career Development Center (QCDC), a member of Qatar Foundation (QF), participated in the recent 2018 Asia Pacific Career Development Association’s (APCDA) conference, an international forum for sharing career development ideas and expertise in the Asia Pacific region.

The 2018 edition of the annual conference, entitled ‘Connecting Career, Family and Society,’ was hosted by Tsinghua University on 15–19 May 2018, in Beijing, China.

QCDC was represented by Mr. Abdulla Al-Mansoori, Director, and Ms. Effrosyni Dimitrios, Senior Career Programs and Services Officer. During the conference, QCDC presented a paper on aligning career development objectives with the needs of the Qatari market.

The paper, titled ‘Aligning the Aspirations and Skills of Qatar’s Youth with the Needs of the Qatari Economy,’ is based on a series of research activities conducted from 2015 to 2017 in an attempt to document current career guidance practices in Qatar, identify opportunities and constraints, and offer recommendations for improvements to help align the aspirations and skills of Qatar’s youth with the needs of the Qatari economy.

On the sidelines of the conference, Al-Mansoori and Dimitrios engaged in site visits to key career organizations in China and met with many international experts to discuss global best practices and exchange expertise on career development strategies.

Through its participation in the APCDA conference, QCDC seeks to advance career development practices in Qatar further, Al-Mansoori explained.

“By drawing on our international engagement and collaborating with distinguished foreign experts, QCDC seeks to further promote Qatari capacity-building and empower youth to better plan their career paths in line with their potential, the future needs of Qatar’s labor market and the requirements of Qatar National Vision 2030,” Al Mansoori said.

APCDA, a non-profit association incorporated for educational purposes in the state of Maryland, USA, provides training to professionals engaged in facilitating career development in the Asia Pacific region by organizing conferences, workshops, and networking events that bring together career development professionals to exchange expertise, share ideas, and collaborate on professional projects.