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The logistics sector is quickly expanding in the Middle East. And, as the market becomes more sophisticated, future jobs may require a higher level of skills. But how will education institutes provide relevant training to meet this demand?
Logistics has historically been underserved from an education standpoint despite it being a driver for growth in global economies. It has only been in the past decade that establishments have been realising the expansion of the industry, particularly in the Middle East, and the relevance training programmes would have to local and international students hoping to fill the growing number of jobs in this sector.
The eagerly awaited Dubai Logistics City, due to be operational next year, has attracted more than 150 companies to expand their businesses. And this logistics platform, along with Al Maktoum International Airport, is set to open a window of career opportunities.
David Harris is the director for International Logistics Services at the Department of Economic Development (DED). A key objective for Harris is to identify strategies to support the growth of the sector and its contribution to the overall GDP of Dubai. “Logistics has and always will be a corner stone of growth in all economies,” he explains.
“Industries now understand the extent to which efficient logistics can affect their margins and with globalisation of supply, the management of operations is much more complex, and a higher degree
of skills is required.”
The demand for these courses in the market was emphasised following a study conducted by the Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA) and DED on the training needs of the logistics sector.
A total of 18 logistics companies and large-scale end-users were interviewed during the research process. “The majority of companies voiced opinion that both degree and certificate programmes should be based on theoretical learning strengthened with ‘hands on training’. This study is helpful to KHDA, which has a remit to fulfil the human development needs of the Dubai Strategic Plan 2015,” adds Harris.
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“This involves identifying workplace needs, and putting in place the educational or training facilities to meet any demands.” It isn’t just new employees who require professional qualifications to gain a job in the industry. Some companies are encouraging their current staff to partake in training, internally or externally, in recognised universities and colleges.
“From the KHDA and DED research, all participants concluded that employees in the sector need to increase the level of their skills and, more importantly, companies should be prepared to fund or, at minimum, co-fund training.”
Due to the large number of current employees in the logistics sector, which require additional training, as well as the amount of people who are taking their first steps on the career ladder, universities and colleges will now need to fill the requirements of these individual circumstances. With this in mind, some establishments, such as the Emirates Aviation College and the University of Dubai, are offering part-time courses, while others, like S.P. Jain Centre of Management and the University of Bolton are providing full-time MBAs.
Harris explains the importance of a varied offering of courses: “Any institute offering education in the Middle Eastern region needs to be clear on the market demands and how it can best serve them. It is pivotal that any institute engages the industry its students will eventually be employed in. If the industry is not consulted, the value of any course is diluted if it does not meet the requirements of the employers and is irrelevant to the current industry developments and trends.”
Education establishments also have the important responsibility of modifying their courses to adapt to the ever-changing market.
Logistics companies are not only providing support for local companies but are becoming major global players. Companies will now need key-decision making skills from their management teams and as new technologies emerge, businesses will require personnel with high technical ability.
“It is crucial that any training should be relevant to the industry needs of today and those that can identify the trends for tomorrow, including popular technologies like RFID, will obviously have a higher personal value for the students,” says Harris.
“The market evolution should be driven by industry needs to have most value and I feel that it will have to be flexible and focused on industry requirements and trends.
Ideally any institute should have the ability to offer short courses in specific industry related areas where a shortage of skill sets is affecting productivity.” At the moment, the logistics courses that are available are well subscribed. But, according to Harris, there is room for a lot more. “If both the logistics sector and education providers are aligned, the demand for education will surely grow both locally and regionally and potentially further afield,” he concludes.
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FEATURED COMMENT
GUST has stopped offering LOGISTICS because of low students registered in this major !! you should update this article.