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Ministry of Labour to select, train 2,500 workers

Participants involved in the project will be recruited randomly from labour-sending countries to build a world-class and skillful workforce.

Abu Dhabi — The Ministry of Labour on Sunday announced a pilot project to train 2,500 workers in partnership with private companies and government establishments to help build a world-class skillful workforce.

Launching the project at a Press conference, Minister of Labour Saqr Ghobash Saeed Ghobash said the project was aimed at building a unified labour qualifications and skills recognition form not only for the country but for the entire GCC region. The project includes a sample of about 2,500 workers who will be recruited randomly from major labour-sending countries — mainly India, Pakistan and the Philippines — to work for national enterprises in the construction sector, Ghobash said.

The programme also includes providing the potential candidates with professional trainings in their own countries.

“Participants involved in the project will also be tested during their stay in the country to document additional gained skills in their new workplace. This would help in facilitating employment within national facilities with trained and qualified manpower, which will positively affect the national labour market and both sides of the production process,” the minister further explained.

Agreements were also signed between the ministry and contracting companies Arabtec, Al Habtoor, ATI Asco and Ghantoot for the project.

Ghobash said the project went through collaboration between the Ministry of Labour, the National Qualifications Authority, the Federal Demographic Council, Abu Dhabi Quality, Conformity Council, Zayed University and saw the participation of several national and international institutions.

“Through the project the labour ministry aims at obtaining future labour market goals through cooperation with concerned government agencies and facilities from the private sector ... to move towards the development of the national economy through cognitive development of the construction sector. This would increase the productivity of labours and help them find decent work opportunities when they return to their homeland,” Ghobash told reporters.

He also said that through the project he hoped that all labourers in the future would have their experiences and qualifications documented and recognised to fill the jobs, especially the blue-collar ones.

Undersecretary at the ministry, Dr Thani Al Muhairi, explained that the project is the first of its kind globally in terms of the number of participating countries and the international, regional and local institutions.

nissar@khaleejtimes.com

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