During 2025 we held a series of webinars with key stakeholders in the UAE and the UK to discuss opportunities for closer collaboration between the two countries in the skills sector. We focussed our discussions on three thematic areas:
Industry Perspectives
This explored how the industrial sectors of the UK and the UAE are undergoing a profound transformation, driven by technological change, innovation and decarbonisation and the need to future-proof the workforce in both countries by attracting, recruiting, upskilling and retaining talented professionals in technical and vocational careers. It considered how the UK and the UAE could collaborate to overcome the associated challenges. Participants discussed how academia, government and industry must work together to ensure future skills requirements are met. They also discussed the barriers – regulatory, societal and educational - that might prevent future skills requirements being met, and how to bridge the gap between qualification attainment and moving into the workforce.
Regulatory and Pedagogical Perspectives
The qualifications and assessment frameworks in the UK and the UAE are both adapting to the changing skills requirements of industry, and in both countries, closer alignment between education providers, regulators and employers will be fundamental to ensuring a seamless transition from learning to the workplace. Developing a structured skills pathway and incorporating lifelong learning will make long-term vocational career opportunities more appealing to young people and older adults alike as they prepare for the innovation-driven changes that are likely to impact on their careers over the decades ahead. Participants in this webinar explored how the UK and the UAE could partner together to address these issues.
