Latest news with #CareerVillage
Qatar Tribune
25-05-2025
- Business
- Qatar Tribune
QCDC sixth Career Village concludes with strong student engagement
Tribune News Network Doha Qatar Career Development Centre (QCDC), founded by Qatar Foundation (QF), concluded the sixth edition of its flagship career exploration initiative, Career Village. Held in partnership with the Ministry of Education and Higher Education (MoEHE) and the Ministry of Labour (MoL), the three-day event welcomed 2,058 students from 125 schools, connecting them with 200 career counsellors and 37 leading organisations across 13 vital sectors of Qatar's economy. Now recognised as one of the country's leading platforms for experiential career learning, Career Village 2025 provided students with hands-on exposure to career paths in fields including Security, Public Administration, Aviation and Aeronautics, Technology, Education, Finance Investment and Banking, Energy, Manufacturing and Retail, Transportation and Logistics, Medicine, Humanitarian and Social Work, Media and Public Relations, as well as Hospitality and Tourism. The initiative is part of QCDC's wider efforts to bridge the gap between education and employment and to support Qatar's Third National Development Strategy (2024–2030) and Qatar National Vision 2030, which emphasise preparing youth for a diversified and knowledge-based economy. The final day of the event featured a high-profile panel discussion titled 'From Guidance to Employment: The Role of Academic Counselling in Supporting Students' Paths to the Private Sector'. The session directly addressed the national priority of increasing Qatari participation in private-sector employment, following the recent enactment of Law No. (12) of 2024 on Job Nationalization in the Private Sector. It brought together over 75 career and academic counsellors from schools across Qatar, with panellists from the MoL, the MoEHE, the Commercial Bank of Qatar, and a young program graduate now employed in the hospitality sector. Discussions explored how career guidance within schools can serve as a critical entry point for nationalization efforts. Throughout the three days, students engaged with sector professionals, explored training opportunities, and learned about workplace expectations and demands through simulations, workshops, and guidance sessions. Since its launch in 2017, Career Village has impacted more than 12,000 students, steadily becoming a cornerstone of QCDC's strategy to cultivate a future-ready workforce.
Forbes
20-05-2025
- Health
- Forbes
A Student's Guide To Postsecondary Education And Career Planning
For middle- and high-school students, life after high school may seem like a distant dream. But for many, graduation comes far too quickly and without a plan for the future. To enable students and recent high school graduates to plan an education-to-career pathway tailored to their interests, strengths, circumstances, and life goals, American Student Assistance (ASA) and Jobs for the Future (JFF) have created a Pathfinder Guide and Checklist. The guide and postsecondary training program checklist include questions, topics for consideration, and tips to help students navigate their career journey. It helps students: What are career interests? They can be specific jobs, like a nursing assistant, or broader industries, like health care. Many teens may still be exploring their career interests, and that's okay. They can start narrowing down their options by considering what classes, extracurricular activities, and hobbies they enjoy; volunteer, work, or community service experiences that give them a sense of accomplishment; and advice from their teachers, counselors, family members, or neighbors. Using free online tools like ASA's Futurescape and EvolveMe, students can then see which careers align with their likes, strengths, and goals, gain access to real-world experiences like virtual internships, and connect with career mentors. Note, some students may have multiple career interests that they want to explore further while others may feel drawn to one in particular. Either situation is fine at this stage in the process. Almost all careers today require additional education or training after high school. For each career interest, students should identify at least one postsecondary training program aligned to it. For example, if a young person is interested in becoming a nursing assistant, they will need to identify and enroll in a state-approved training program and pass an examination. To find this information, students can talk to trusted adults like guidance counselors, network to find professionals who work in their area of interest or do online research using free tools such as My Next Move or Career Village. To evaluate the pros and cons of each training program, this four-step checklist includes a useful rubric. After listing one or more postsecondary training programs aligned with each identified career interest (Step 1), students are asked to respond to a series of prompts about each training program (Step 2), covering areas including but not limited to entrance requirements, structure and logistics, cost, time to hire, and success indicators. Step 3 of the checklist then delves into career readiness/placement, prompting students to reflect on whether their career interest will help society, be something they enjoy doing, allow them to earn a living wage, provide them with employment stability, and give them opportunities for advancement. To answer these questions students may need to supplement their online research with informational interviews with professionals already working in these roles. Once students complete Steps 1-3, they should have the information they need to evaluate each postsecondary training program. Step 4 guides them through this process with reflection questions including how well the program meets the needs of leading employers in the student's area of interest and their placement track record, aligns with student requirements (costs involved, time to completion, scheduling flexibility, etc.), and prepares them for a career that is a good fit for the student's personality and goals. After this analysis, a student may find a specific training program is not a good fit. If that happens, there is no need to be concerned. It is just part of the process and gives students the opportunity to find better pathways that will get them closer to their ideal career. Graduation should be an exciting time for teens, a celebration of their past accomplishments as they look forward to the next chapter in their lives. Yet it can bring stress and anxiety to those who don't have a plan for the future. The Pathfinder Guide and Checklist can help young people explore their career interests and postsecondary training program options, so they can develop a plan for life after high school which puts them on a path towards a fulfilling, enjoyable, and successful career.
Zawya
19-05-2025
- Business
- Zawya
Career Village open doors to Qatar's future workforce
Organized by QCDC in Partnership with MoEHE and MoL Doha, Qatar – Qatar Career Development Center (QCDC), founded by Qatar Foundation (QF), has partnered with the Ministry of Education and Higher Education (MoEHE) and the Ministry of Labour (MoL), to launch the sixth edition of its flagship career exploration program 'Career Village,' a three-day immersive hands-on tour in Qatar's diverse career offerings, taking place from 19–21 May at KidZania Doha. 'Career Village' opened its doors today with a ribbon-cutting ceremony attended by senior officials, including Saad Abdulla Al-Kharji, Executive Director of QCDC, Francisco Marmolejo, President of Higher Education at QF, Maryam Nouman Al-Emadi, Director of Educational Guidance Department at MoEHE, Fatima Youssef Al-Obaidly, Assistant Director of the Department of Schools and Student Affairs at MoEHE, and Mohammed Salem Al-Khulaifi, Assistant Director of Rehabilitation and Skills Development Department at MoL. Their presence underscored the national importance of preparing Qatar's youth to meet the demands of a rapidly evolving labor market. By bringing more than 40 leading public and private entities together and welcoming hundreds of middle and high school students each day, 'Career Village' aims to bridge the gap between classroom learning and the dynamic demands of Qatar's labor market, in alignment with the Third National Development Strategy 2024–2030. 'Career Village has become a foundational pillar in QCDC's mission to cultivate a future-proof workforce,' said Saad Abdulla Al-Kharji, Executive Director of QCDC. 'As the launchpad for our job-shadowing initiatives, it gives students an actual first taste of real-world professions, allowing them to engage directly with industry professionals, igniting their curiosity, and laying the groundwork upon which our entire suite of job-shadowing programs builds. This experience empowers them to explore themselves, not to mention the diverse career pathways available, and master the critical skills they will need to succeed.' Fatima Youssef Al-Obaidly, Assistant Director of School and Student Affairs Department at MoEHE, commended the launch of the sixth edition of the 'Career Village' initiative. She emphasized that the event serves as a key pillar in supporting students' transition from education to the workforce—especially in light of rapid changes and ongoing needs of national development. Al Obaidly stated, 'The sixth edition of Career Village represents a vital opportunity for high school students from both public and private schools to explore Qatar's key sectors and engage directly with professional institutions in a learning environment that mirrors real-life work settings. This contributes significantly to enriching students' career experiences and broadening their future horizons. We highly value the ongoing and productive collaboration between MoEHE and QCDC, which reflects both parties' commitment to creating stimulating educational environments that respond to students' needs. This, in turn, helps expand their career choices and supports early planning of their professional paths.' Mohamed Salem Al-Khulaifi, Acting Director of Rehabilitation and Skills Development at MoL, affirmed that 'Career Village' is one of the pioneering initiatives that reflects the Ministry's commitment to promoting early career guidance and providing an innovative learning environment aligned with the needs of the national labor market. He noted that the Ministry's participation in the sixth edition of 'Career Village' stems from its dedication to empowering students with a deep understanding of labor market requirements and its various sectors, while supporting efforts to prepare a generation capable of making informed career decisions and contributing to the goals of Qatar National Vision 2030, including the development of a knowledge-based economy. Al-Khulaifi further explained that the Ministry of Labour places high priority on equipping and preparing the national workforce for the job market, and values what 'Career Village' offers in terms of practical, interactive experiences. These opportunities allow students to explore careers and engage directly with professionals, playing a vital role in narrowing the gap between education and employment. He emphasized that this initiative reflects the spirit of integration among state institutions in preparing future generations, while advancing the objectives of the Third National Development Strategy to build a skilled national workforce ready to navigate future transformations. Since its inception in 2017, 'Career Village' has engaged over 10,000 students and established itself as QCDC's flagship platform for experiential learning. This year's edition features dedicated experiential learning zones, interactive workshops on soft-skills development and industry trends, and personalized counseling sessions with career-guidance professionals. Students will network with experts across sectors including Security, Public Administration, Aviation and Aeronautics, Technology, Education, Finance Investment and Banking, Energy, Manufacturing and Retail, Transportation and Logistics, Medicine, Humanitarian and Social Work, Media and Public Relations, as well as Hospitality and Tourism—gaining firsthand insights into the day-to-day realities and emerging opportunities within each field. Qatar Career Development Center Qatar Career Development Center, founded by Qatar Foundation, aims to help the youth, particularly but not restrictedly students, across all Qatar's education system's tracks and stages, including the youth with special needs, to identify and fulfil their education and career goals. The center offers them high quality bespoke career development programs, services and activities, seeking to mobilize, educate and support them on how best to make and implement sound career decisions and plans, grow and develop professionally, and achieve their life goals in such ways that best contribute to Qatar's development and prosperity. In addition to the youth, Qatar Career Development Center targets a diverse group of individual and organizational stakeholders collectively referred to as the influencers of youth. This group primarily includes career practitioners and human capital professionals, academic advisors and administrators, parents and policy makers. The center engages them in various initiatives, projects and programs whose purpose is to educate, empower and support them in relation to their highly vital role as shapers and even definers of the youth's future. To learn more about Qatar Career Development Center's initiatives and programs, please visit the website: To stay updated on our center's activities on social media, follow our accounts on: Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, X, TikTok, and LinkedIn. For any media inquiries, please contact: qcdc@
