REGIONAL ROUND-UP
AFRICA APAC EUROPE MIDDLE EAST NORTH AMERICA
COURSERA ’ S GLOBAL SKILLS REPORT 2021 RANKS UAE NUMBER TWO GLOBALLY FOR BUSINESS SKILLS
According to Coursera ’ s Global Skills Report 2021 , the UAE ranks number one in the MENA region and number two globally in overall business skills , only after Luxembourg . This year ’ s study draws on performance data since the pandemic ' s onset from more than 77 million learners on the platform to benchmark skills proficiency across business , technology and data science for over 100 countries .
Communication , entrepreneurship , leadership and management and strategy and operations are areas where UAE learners have placed within the top 97 percentile or higher in business skills . These proficiencies are fundamental to accurately interpret and respond to the opportunities and challenges that determine an organisation ' s success .
While UAE ’ s overall business skills proficiency ranks near the top of the list globally , technology and data science skills represent areas for continued growth .
With the UAE government ’ s prioritisation of Digital Transformation as a driver of national development and economic advancement , the Global Skills Report highlights a significant opportunity for UAE professionals to upskill in these fields – the country ’ s talent pools for technology and data science skills ranked just number 72 and number 71 respectively .
“ In recent years , the UAE government has implemented numerous initiatives , aimed at promoting a skills-based economy . These are having a positive impact on the economy as evidenced by the UAE ’ s business leadership position
in our rankings ,” said Anthony Tattersall , Coursera Vice President of EMEA . “ When it comes to technology and data science skills , access to a variety of job-relevant credentials , including a path to entry-level digital jobs , will be key to help reskill at scale , not just in the UAE but worldwide .”
It was , however , promising to see an increase in Science , Technology , Engineering and Mathematics ( STEM ) course enrolments – which account for many foundational digital skills – by women in the UAE . The share of STEM enrolments from women in the UAE rose from 33 % in 2018 – 19 to 41 % in 2019 – 20 .
Another notable outlier in the overall technology skills performance of the country was its competitiveness in security engineering , where the UAE ranked in the 77 percentile . With the country witnessing a 250 % increase in cyberattacks through the pandemic , there has been a strong emphasis on attracting and developing cybersecurity skills within the UAE , which helps explain this high ranking .
Similarly , despite scoring in just the 34 percentile in overall data science skills , UAE learners have demonstrated strong capabilities in the highly-valued area of data analysis ( 82 %), which is increasingly playing a part in everything from streamlining business processes and enhancing employee productivity , to recognising market trends and adapting to customer behaviours and preferences .
Based on the performance data of millions of learners on Coursera globally , the report also reveals the skills and time required to prepare for entry-level roles :
• Recent graduates and mid-career changers can develop entry-level , digital job skills in as little as 35 to 70 hours ( or one – two months with 10 learning hours per week )
• Learners must invest in both soft and technical skills to stay job-relevant in a rapidly evolving labour market
• The most transferable skills across all future jobs are in human skills like problem solving and communication , computer literacy and career management x
WHEN IT COMES TO TECHNOLOGY AND DATA SCIENCE SKILLS , ACCESS TO A VARIETY OF JOB-RELEVANT CREDENTIALS , INCLUDING A PATH TO ENTRY-LEVEL DIGITAL JOBS , WILL BE KEY TO HELP RESKILL AT SCALE , NOT JUST IN THE UAE BUT WORLDWIDE .
60 www . intelligentcxo . com