Training Magazine Middle East November 2014 | Page 24

training and general education (GE) sectors with an agreed classification system of new qualifications, which will be nationally and internationally recognised. The establishment of a national qualifications framework ensures the UAE is well placed to align and compare its qualifications with that of other national qualifications frameworks and meta-frameworks. Similarly, Bahrain has but developed and adopted a NQF with a nine level framework. Other GCC members are in the processes of embarking on the same.

The important point here is, that the establishment of these international and national benchmark resources and systems provides a national resource for users, particularly organizations. It affords them an essential and central building block to progress their organizational and respective development activities. It improves the prospects for enhanced synergies and consistency in the recognition of same occupation across relevant stakeholders (organizations). That is, whether it be employers seeking to develop job descriptions, undertaking workplace reform or managing and planning employee careers, or institutions looking to identify future programs that align and link with growth in the labour market. It may be in research activities or compliance regimes that seek to identify occupational linkages.

GCC-member country leaderships have recognised the international trends that are required to stay competitive and are inaugurating, by way of response, establishment of their respective national benchmark resources. In return, it is fair to suggest that it is now encumbered on organizations to play their part in becoming familiar with them and use them in their HR activities. These national resources directly relate to career development and provide the ‘national platform of common language’ that can be used to communicate outwardly and inwardly by all concerned about career development; particularly organizations, governments, regulators and agencies, communities and individuals.

Organizations need to become more familiar with these nationally developed resources, get involved in their development, and use them as the medium for communicating outwardly when advertising jobs and communicating with institutions and universities, as well as using them for recruitment, re-skilling and retention. In this way, all stakeholders including job seekers and the community are better equipped and armed with quality and consistent information to interpret and recognise commonly used job titles, job requirements and corresponding qualifications.

Better understanding by all will enhance job seekers better matching with available jobs and give an improved understanding of job requirements leading to improved productivity, efficiency and safety. It will also increase the prospects that organizations will start to be more proactive and explore options to review and improve their work organization practices and technology within their business as a core process in their workforce development strategies, practices and metrics, and in turn better understand the quality of available labour and skills pool in the community.

By increasing their use and reference to these national benchmarks, through key stakeholders such as employers, government and their agencies/regulators, institutions and associated bodies, community understanding, recognition and acceptance will be vastly improved. They act, as well, to help build confidence in the market place of the role and scope of occupations in the labour market and the economy. Moreover, the guidelines perform as a central reference point for building and contextualising relevant outcomes and requirements for the nation, the organization and the individual.

Skills That Really Matter - Feature