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"The time has come for countries to focus their energies on the quality of education and making sure that students are equipped with what they need for the labor market.."
Marwan Muasher of the World Bank |
Have We Failed Them?
Fatin Bundagji
The year 2008 started off with two big bangs. The first we witnessed during the opening of the 2nd
Global Competitiveness Forum in Riyadh last January; and the second followed the launch of the 1st
Knowledge Economy conference in
Jeddah. Both events focused on common themes such as innovation, cooperation, creativity, efficiency and entrepreneurship. And both events predicted that Saudi Arabia could be a significant leading global force in those areas within the next 5 to 10 years. However both seemed to have forgotten that competitive nations and knowledge societies could only be created if the right ingredients are in place, namely a market-relevant education system that encourages individualism, innovation, and research. In short, a highly skilled and competitive labor force that is able to live up to the realities and challenges brought on by local and global forces of change.
The hard reality is that such great expectations cannot be achieved if we keep on placing our children in an educational system that advocates the very opposite of innovation and creativity, and which aborts the entrepreneurial mindset and spirit. But this is precisely what we are doing time after time, and for this we are paying a heavy price.
Unemployment among our youth is on the rise; Saudization policies are punishing the private sector for the damage done by the public sector; foreign labor is pouring in; mega projects are in the pipeline but the job openings they promise will be filled by qualified and competent workers which means that a new influx of foreign workers is due soon. Our youth population is on the rise, as is the increasing generational divide. In short, the predicament in which our youth finds itself in today is the result of our shortsightedness. And despite this sad reality, the finger of blame is constantly being pointed at them rather than back at us.
The good news is that there is a solution at hand -- a solution that aims to build their leadership abilities through a series of quick, short-term interventions. These interventions are in the form of internship opportunities in key public, private and civic institutions across the Kingdom. Each internship period lasts from four to six months, during which the intern is exposed to real-time work experiences. These experiences provide him or her with knowledge, insights and skills in specific areas. At the end of each internship, the intern graduates with a realistic overview of key issues facing the sector to which he or she was assigned. The aim of these internships is to recreate the authentic "learning" environment that is now missing from our formal educational system.
Not only will these internships expose the youth to real-time experiences, but they will also create a platform where two generations of Saudis can communicate and interact. The Saudi youth will have the opportunity to interact first hand with senior Saudi experts, thought leaders, politicians and professionals, and in turn, these Saudi experts will engage firsthand with their future successors. In short, these internships will serve as transitional setups to test-run the shifting of responsibilities from those who are currently managing the affairs of the nation, to those who will be doing so in the near future. This process is a necessary step toward the integration of our youth into the operating system of their country.
And now you may ask where will these internships take place?
The first intervention is a series of internships in key public institutions such as the Majlis Al-Shoura; the chambers of commerce and the municipal councils. These internships aim to build the culture of responsibility and civil service by exposing the youth to the day-to-day operations of these institutions. These learning environments will foster the art of dialogue, and will bring about an exchange of ideas between our marginalized younger generation and their national leaders. During this period, the leaders of the country will have a chance to mentor and support the youth so as to have a glimpse into the needs and concerns of this highly misunderstood population. The aim of this intervention is to integrate Saudi youth into the public system of the country.
The second intervention is "on-the-job" training internships in multinational companies operating in the Kingdom.
The intention here is to create a mechanism that exposes Saudi youth to some of the "best practice" methods of management in the business world. In addition Saudi youth will experience firsthand the meaning of professionalism and job ethics as well as competition, teamwork and innovation. The aim is to integrate Saudi youth into the economic system of the country.
The third intervention aims to introduce our youth to the global community through a series of international outreach programs via conferences and forums. This initiative will narrow the existing sociocultural divide, as it will also build their diplomatic abilities, sharpen their communication skills, and increase their tolerance for differences, their respect for others as well as their general knowledge of the outside world.
Reforming our educational system is a long-term process that we cannot afford to wait for. In the meantime, the only way forward is for us to design creative learning experiences that provide our youth with a flavor of what the world is all about. Experiencing internships such as these not only validates the presence of our younger generation but it also acknowledges their citizenship status. What is more, it creates a sense of belonging, commitment and nationalism that is necessary to motivate them to lead their country to the competitive heights we aspire to.
� Fatin Bundagji is an institutional development consultant. She is based in Jeddah.
Fatin Bundagji, [email protected]
Source: Arab News
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