Inaugural meeting of the Global Coalition for Skills Development [MBRF Knowledge Summit Special Issue]
This article is part of a Special Issue featuring highlights of the 9th Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Knowledge Foundation (MBRF) Knowledge Summit and associated 3rd UNESCO World Open Educational Resources (OER) Congress.
The Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Knowledge Foundation (MBRF) Knowledge Summit 2024 included the inaugural meeting of the Global Skills Coalition, which aims to unify international efforts to develop and advance skills through the Future Skills Academy. The Global Skills Coalition is the result of cooperation between MBRF, the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), and educational platform Coursera.
The Future Skills Academy aims to provide free educational and training opportunities to 10 million learners by 2030, building on the significant achievements of the earlier FutureSkills4All initiative. FutureSkills4All was able to reach more than 9,000 learners, achieving a 165% utilization rate, with the number of courses offered through the Coursera portal reaching 6,000 and the number of beneficiaries reaching 9,002, surpassing initial expectations.
The top 10 training programs, according to the number of registered students, were Data Analyst, Cybersecurity, AI Engineer, Soft Skills Track, Software Engineering (Software Developer), Fresh Graduate Track, Data Engineer, Entrepreneurship, and Business English. The most important soft skills acquired were communication, management, problem-solving, decision-making, planning, people analysis, critical thinking, strategy and operations, data analysis, and business analysis.
Importance of the Global Skills Coalition
His Excellency Jamal bin Huwaireb, CEO of MBRF, emphasized the great importance of the Global Skills Coalition. He stressed MBRF’s keenness to support this ambitious initiative by enhancing the Future Skills Academy project, saying that:
Today, we reach the end of the first phase of FutureSkills4All, the pioneering initiative that provided thousands of educational and training opportunities for Arab youth and equipped them with the best and latest digital and personal skills and expertise. We announce the opening of registration for the second phase of the initiative, represented by the Future Skills Academy, through which we aspire to reach 10 million beneficiaries by 2030 so that we can continue with our partners in this project, UNDP and Coursera, to carry the message of spreading knowledge and education and contributing to preparing future generations to face the challenges of the future in the best possible way.
For his part, His Excellency Dr. Abdallah Al Dardari, Assistant Secretary-General and Director of the UNDP Regional Bureau for Arab States, spoke during the meeting about the importance of focusing on enhancing productivity and building a sustainable knowledge economy in the Arab region. He pointed out that the region suffers from low productivity, a problem that is not limited to poor countries but extends to rich ones, reflecting the urgent need for a deeper understanding of the idea of productivity as a real addition to knowledge and the economy.
His Excellency Dr. Abdallah Al Dardari explained that building a strong knowledge economy requires clear and effective economic policies, in addition to a solid infrastructure that supports this approach, stressing the need to empower youth and provide them with the necessary skills to be major contributors to building this economy. He emphasized that the partnership with MBRF represents a pivotal step in achieving this goal, as it contributes to opening horizons for millions of young people who can contribute to the knowledge economy.
Dr. Andrew Ng, Chairman and Co-Founder of Coursera, also spoke at the meeting, saying that the platform is proud to be part of this important coalition, which seeks to enhance human capabilities and enable individuals to acquire skills that meet the requirements of the future. He expressed his appreciation for the joint efforts made by the partners to identify the most in-demand skills in different regions, ensuring the provision of effective training courses that are in line with the needs of local and global markets.
Dr. Ng explained that one of the most prominent challenges facing accelerated growth is the large number of people who need vocational training in light of the rapid transformations witnessed by the global economy, advising that achieving a strong and sustainable economy depends largely on qualifying individuals with high-quality skills. He added that achieving this requires integrated work and strong partnerships to ensure the provision of the best training solutions while pointing out at the same time the great impact that technology has on business and economic levels, and the importance of directing investments towards developing the skills of the human element to achieve a long-term impact that ensures the sustainability of economic and social development.
Acknowledgement: Arab Business News.
Header image: His Excellency Jamal bin Huwaireb, CEO of MBRF, addresses the inaugural meeting of the Global Skills Coalition. Source: Bruce Boyes, CC BY-NC-ND 4.0.
