Arab experts: Region's education systems must be developed to tackle unemployment

(Report by: Ayoub Khadaj) BEIRUT, April 5 (KUNA) -- Inadequate teaching systems in the Arab region contribute to high unemployment rates because they prevent matching the skills acquired by graduates to those required by the labor market, which hinders youth employment and weakens economic growth in general.
Some Arab experts agree that education and skills development curricula in the Arab region need to be constantly developed to keep pace with the requirements of the labor market, which are changing due to technological development.
In remarks to KUNA, the Regional Director for Arab Countries at the International Labor Organization, Dr. Ruba Jaradat, said that youth in the Arab region constitute "more than 14 percent of the total labor force and that unemployment rates among them are rising, recording 27.6 percent in 2023, i.e. four times the unemployment rate." She also pointed out that the inadequacy of the education and skills development systems in the region is due to several reasons, including that the majority of education and training institutions do not take into account the needs of employers sufficiently, which leads to preparing students whose skills do not match the requirements of the labor market.
Education and skills development systems in the region "largely adhere to traditional practices, focusing on formal degrees rather than practical knowledge, and lacking personal skills such as communication, teamwork, critical thinking, problem-solving, and adaptability," she added.
She stressed the importance of education and training moving away from the "indoctrination mode" and including teaching personal skills, including communication and teamwork, in addition to digital skills, and integrating green skills into the basic curricula.
She also highlighted the importance of technical and vocational skills in light of the current trend towards diversifying economies and supporting the growth of several sectors and industries, calling for attention to labor market information systems and skills forecasting programs that would identify and anticipate the skills required in the labor market and measure the gaps.
For her part, the Head of the Education Department at the UNESCO Beirut Office, Dr. Maysoon Shehab, told KUNA that some studies indicate that matching education with market needs can reduce unemployment rates, as happened in some countries that implemented educational programs commensurate with the needs of the labor market.
She added that to enable the workforce to respond to the requirements of the labor market in Arab countries, school curricula must be updated to provide practical education and develop technical and linguistic skills in a way that suits the needs of the market.
Further, she stressed the Arab region's need for more sustainable efforts and investments in education and upbringing to achieve sustainable progress and meet the changing needs of the labor market.
In turn, Director of the Future of the Labor Market Team at the UN Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA), Dr. Salim Araji, affirmed that studies show a large discrepancy between the skills acquired through the educational system and the skills required in the labor market, especially at the levels of higher education.
He noted that the required educational systems include those that focus on developing a variety of "hard and soft skills, including technology, communication, and critical thinking" to enhance skills that meet the needs of the Fourth Industrial Revolution and the new era in which the influence of artificial intelligence continues.
Dr. Araji concluded by stressing that the region's commitment to achieving sustainable development goals and exploiting great human capabilities can contribute to achieving comprehensive and sustainable economic growth. (end) ayb.aa