UAE-LABOR: Survey on jobless nationals

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Att.Editors: The following item is by the United Arab Emirates news agency (WAM)

ABU DHABI, May 3 2003 (IPS) - The United Arab Emirates (UAE) Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs and the National Human Resources Development Authority (Tanmia) will soon begin a survey of 2,000 UAE national families in Sharjah and the Northern Emirates to count the number of unemployed members, a senior official said Thursday.

Ahmed Abdullah Hareb Al Muhairi, Director of the ministry’s Social Development Department, said that the project, to be implemented in conjunction with the Ministry of Planning, will be researched via a questionnaire handed to each family, listing jobs available and asking for the favored posts to be ticked, according to a report in the ‘Gulf News’.

The department will collect information, while Tanmia will analyze it and the conclusions will be submitted to the Ministry of Planning, which will work out a vision of the UAE workforce after 10 years.

"The questionnaire’s respondents, aged between 13 and 60 years, include the parents, working members of the families, unemployed members and students. It is hoped that more nationals will be employed via such projects, keeping in mind the government’s commitment to giving nationals top priority and achieving a satisfactory rate of Emiratization," said Al Muhairi.

Jobs will be offered based on the responses filled by the nationals and the final results of the questionnaire. A similar exercise will be undertaken in Ras Al Khaimah after the Northern Emirates project is completed, he said.

A meeting was held to review the ministry’s master plan with regard to employing nationals and helping national jobseekers find suitable placements.

The girls’ club project implemented at the ministry’s development centres for girls who have quit school or those that have graduated but are yet to find employment, will be evaluated.

The girls will receive various types of training to ensure they are highly qualified to take on jobs, said Al Muhairi.

A project to help market home-made products and arrange exhibitions for these items is also being implemented. A Tanmia project, which is also conducted at these centers, informs UAE nationals about jobs in the private sector.

He praised the leading role played by Tanmia in helping UAE national jobseekers find employment. Tanmia is also engaged in coordinating between UAE national jobseekers and employers in the private sector, he added.

"Some 18,000 UAE nationals benefited from the 10 social development centers’ activities last year. These offer courses in computers, English, first aid, sewing, cooking, handicraft and memorization of the Holy Quran for women. At least 856 women took part in 84 courses last year," said Al Muhairi.