Education policy

Public-private based partnerships have been gaining momentum in many emerging economies, and the U.A.E. is no exception. Alongside the advancement of creative clusters, the benefits stemming from these partnerships are that the delivery of services can be provided in a more efficient manner, through channeling the private sector’s networks and expertise. The Dubai Creative Clusters Authority (DCCA) was established as a government regulatory body, and recently mandated an unprecedented regulation that fortifies part-time student work contracts. 

The primary objective of this regulation is to enable businesses under its jurisdiction to access a pool of university students who present themselves as potential part-time employees, seeking to complement their fields of study and increase their employability after graduation. Aligned with the country’s National Vision Agenda for 2021, this Public Private Partnership will foster the role of private sector companies, contribute to the provision of job opportunities to Emiratis, and potentially take part in the government’s fiscal consolidation policies that aim to relief the financial burden on the latter. 

This study explores how such an initiative will narrow the knowledge-skills gap prevailing in the labor market, and could possibly provide sustainable employability for university graduates.