“We’ve found that over 50% of youth would not study the same subjects again if given a choice” says David Jones, CEO and Co-Founder of The Talent Enterprise. “Part of it is because they select their areas of study based on the external environment: friends, family, society, etc. The aim of the conference this year was to look at how we can help students identify their innate strengths and learn to leverage them when selecting a degree and navigating in tomorrow’s workplace.”

In fact, a recent GCC survey conducted by The Talent Enterprise found that while 84% of students believed they were self-aware, only 61% of employers found youth to be self-aware. This mismatch between student and employer perception has been seen in other noteworthy research. Soraya Benchiba, Research Assistant at Abdulla Al Ghurair Foundation for Education, a keynote speaker at the conference, reported that in their recent study amongst 3000 Arab youths, “80-90% (of students) are confident in math, English, research, and presentation skills” while “1 in 2 (of the employers surveyed) must provide extra training to Arab graduates.”

Mohamed Madawala, Director of Partnerships at Higher Colleges of Technology, the UAE’s largest university, who participated in the Employer – Educator Discussion Panel mentioned, “I see a lot of young UAE graduates. The ones who do very well in their education and early careers, and maybe they haven’t found their passion per se but they have that enthusiasm that comes from doing something they are good at and enjoy. Understanding one’s strengths to cultivate that enthusiasm is critical.”

Huda Alhammadi, a recent graduate currently working at Leading Islamic Bank in the UAE echoed this sentiment during the Youth Discussion Panel, “In university, we tend to make decisions based on pragmatic things like money and employability while also getting influenced heavily by our social circle. Once you start working though, you realize that people who do really well in their careers are the ones using their natural strong points. Of course, you may change jobs along the way, you will get opportunities and setbacks, you will learn, but you’ll be on the right path.”

Other notable speakers and panelists included Craig Austin, Group Head of Talent Management and Learning & Development from RAK Bank, Rami Al Jaber, Manager of Corporate at American University of Sharjah and Brigitte Sitzberger from Masdar.