UAE retail academy seeks to woo Emiratis to sector

The Higher Colleges of Technology and Majid Al Futtaim Charity Foundation have teamed up to set up a retail training programme.

The Higher Colleges of Technology, together with Majid Al Futtaim Charity Foundation, is launching a retail academy to provide vocational training in a bid to attract Emiratis to work in the sector. SShow more

DUBAI // Emiratis must be taught about the opportunities available to them through a career in retail, the country’s fastest-growing sector, academics say.

Among the problems affecting Emiratisation in the sector are work hours, a perceived lack of status and a reluctance to take on what seems to be a subservient role.

Now the Higher Colleges of Technology and Majid Al Futtaim Charity Foundation are launching an academy to provide vocational training and open up meaningful careers in retail for nationals.

Dr Naji Al Mahdi, head of the National Institute for Vocational Education and Training (Nive) in Dubai, said it was crucial that Emiratis were educated on the opportunities the sector provided.

“The retail industry is huge and isn’t just about selling garments or food,” Dr Al Mahdi said.

“There are opportunities in the back office where people don’t have to interact and have that stigma about serving others.

“There are lots of very high-profile jobs for example in window dressing, stockists and customer profiling areas.

“There are loads of back office jobs that could be suited for Emiratis and especially for those who haven’t gone to college and haven’t made it all the way to university.

“Men love to handle cars so selling cars could be very attractive, requiring some knowledge of automobiles, which is where they have an interest, just like for young ladies selling jewellery is attractive.”

Retail accounts for 20 per cent of the UAE’s non-oil GDP and employs 20 per cent of the workforce.

Dr Al Mahdi said Nive launched an initiative with the jewellery company Daman four years ago to entice Emiratis into retail.

Of the 60 who began, none were from Abu Dhabi or Dubai, where opportunities for those without university education are greater. Only five are still with the company.

"There are people who will come to this kind of initiative but there are challenges," Dr Al Mahdi said. "The private sector works evenings and weekends.

“These areas were very challenging and some of the reason people left was because they couldn’t cope with the timing.”

But he said the opportunities from working in retail had to be emphasised.

“There are some exceptional opportunities within retail,” Dr Al Mahdi said. “When it comes to wages or status it could really be good for Emiratis and retail could be an excellent platform to jump to other opportunities such as customer service.

“There are lots of those opportunities within the Government, too. The best customer service people are retailers and hospitality people, so there are good lessons to learn from there. It could be a good stepping stone to move into these careers.”

The partnership between the Higher Colleges of Technology and the charity will work with leading retailers, chambers of commerce and government agencies to provide effective guidance for industry skills training.

“Increased consumer confidence and a rise in tourism growth are helping to drive the UAE’s rapid emergence as a global retail destination,” said Dr Najib Al Khaja, chief executive of Majid Al Futtaim Charity Foundation.

"We recognise that there is a need to develop formal educational opportunities and provide vocational training in the retail sector, and believe these exciting initiatives will help to ensure the UAE has a future pool of well-trained retail talent and is able to fill the growing demand from retailers."

Dr Tayeb Kamali, vice chancellor of HCT, said: “This partnership will result in empowering our graduates with the knowledge, skills and confidence to contribute effectively to our nation and its growing diversified economy, and lead them to successful future careers in retail.”