Several activities by Qatar Career Development Centre (QCDC), founded by Qatar Foundation, have yielded overwhelming positive outcomes in the recent years with about 10,000 children benefitting from the programmes in 2022 alone, noted a top official.
“Over 9,600 children benefited from QCDC's career development centre at Kidzania in 2022 alone while 334 students were impacted to exhibit measurable transformation by more than 20 programmes and initiatives the centre had organised,” disclosed Abdulla al-Mansoori, director of QCDC.
"Our Career Guide magazine reaches more than 80,000 readers across the country," al-Mansoori explained to Gulf Times in an interview recently.
“We have seen increased student engagement, with our services, along with ever growing opportunities to collaborate with education and labour market institutions and entities. In 2022 alone, QCDC has benefitted thousands of students and young people across Qatar, helping them make more informed decisions about their education and career paths,” continued the official.
However, al-Mansoori said that the success of the organisation lies in the individual level transformations that occur as a result of the centre’s efforts which involve personal growth, skill development, increased confidence, and a sense of empowerment among the individuals.
He explained: “At the core of our mission is the belief that our work has the power to change lives on a profound level. It is about helping individuals discover their potential, overcome obstacles, and pursue their dreams and aspirations. These individual stories of transformation are often the most compelling evidence of the value we bring to our communities.”
The director said that QCDC is planning several career development programmes for the next two years. “We are expanding and building upon our career guidance and development services and taking them to new heights, to provide students with a holistic package of advising and guidance offerings that cover various bases needed to adapt to today's dynamic professional environment and labour market.”
He pointed out that QCDC has extended the 'Little Employee' initiative to run year-long. Helping children from the ages of 7-15 to experience real-life work environments by accompanying a parent or a relative to their workplace.
“Furthermore, we have published a guide with all the majors available at the university and higher education levels in the country. This Majors Guide gives tips to the students about all the sectors of higher studies with all the requirements and skills needed for each course. The guide makes students come out with informed decisions, and plan their career path, as they become are more aware about their potential and skills and the available majors that suit them,” he highlighted.
The official revealed: “We are in the process of launching a revamped career programme that we named Al-Dileela. This is for students, graduates, and people who apply to get a new job or change their current one. We are going to take them through the full process to be prepared for the journey. This will happen with the collaboration of a great group of experience career advisers. We also have several comprehensive and complimenting initiatives to support people with special needs on the same path.”
“As we move forward, we are committed to staying at the forefront of career development by constantly evolving our programmes and initiatives to meet the ever-changing demands of the modern job market. We will continue to collaborate with educational and labour market stakeholders, both locally and internationally, to create a thriving career development ecosystem in Qatar,” concluded, the QCDC director.
Abdulla al-Mansoori
