The engineering sector faces a skills gap and must work closer with educators if the UAE is going to inspire and enable the next generation to become world-class innovators of the future, according to a new report.
The Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) has released findings from its UAE Skills Survey report that lays bare the skills gap currently facing the emirates’ engineering industry, as well as the skills prospects for the next decade.
But the 151-year-old global organisation casts a positive light on the expansion of the industry over the past year, with almost half (48 percent) of engineering and technology firms seeing a growth in their business and one in five reporting a large increase in staff numbers.
However, during 2021 the majority struggled to fill vacancies with more than nine in ten (93 percent) UAE engineering employers finding it difficult to recruit new staff.
The report also highlights the quality of new recruits who joined the sector challenged many businesses with 58 percent of large companies (those with over 500 employees) saying they are struggling to find applicants with the right technical skills.
“Engineering employers also say there are simply not enough applicants for the jobs on offer, with a quarter saying there are not enough people interested in new positions,” the report stated.
Other challenges facing engineering employers include pressure on wages (34 percent), increased remote working (23 percent) and staff retention and turnover (23 percent).
The companies which took part in the IET survey said that upskilling their staff in problem solving and leadership were among their most pressing training needs to meet their priorities.
David Lakin, Head of Education at the IET, said: “We need to open young people’s eyes and minds to the world of engineering at a much younger age.
“Not only do we need them to understand what engineering is, we want them to see that if they practically apply the STEM skills they learn in the classroom, they can improve the world for everyone.”
Over the next decade the UAE’s industrial strategy, Operation 300bn, aims to develop the industrial sector and enhance its role in stimulating the national economy.
As the UAE engineering sector diversifies in the coming years, it will be critical for employers and educators to work together to shape the skills pipeline for their industry, the IET concluded.
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