2

Abstract

Revolutionizing Learning as We Know It.

Preparing the Arab Youth for the Future
of Work & Technology
Emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence and
virtual reality will be vital for promoting economic growth,
and for diversifying the economies of countries around the
world. In recognition of this, many countries in the Arab world
have launched large scale initiatives to promote the use of
these technologies. But the growth promised by intelligent
technologies can only be realized if the skills gap is closed. This
is easier said than done. As the nature of work changes and
roles are reconfigured, new approaches to learning will be
needed. Indeed, while intelligent technologies are driving new
workforce trends, they also furnish the means to respond and
take advantage of developments. We propose a personalized,
accelerated, continuous and experiential (PACE) approach to
learning, powered by technology such as artificial intelligence,
augmented and virtual reality, blockchain and new digital
learning platforms. Scaling the new learning model will need
an ecosystem approach, orchestrated by governments, and
with special initiatives to support the most vulnerable groups.
 3

Contents

Introduction............................................................................. 06

The Future of the Arab World.................................................... 10

Address The Skills Gap For The Future of Work............................ 14

Intelligent technologies are reconfiguring roles.............................. 17

Speed Up Learning with “Pace”................................................. 19

Personalized .......................................................................... 19

Accelerated........................................................................... 20

Continuous............................................................................ 20

Experiential............................................................................ 22

Apply Pace at Scale................................................................... 23

Promote multi-stakeholder partnerships....................................... 24

Build Awareness..................................................................... 25

Empower the vulnerable learners................................................ 26

Reach for Tomorrow – Now....................................................... 27

Key Recommendations.............................................................. 29
 4

Arab Technology Program Foreword

In today’s world we cannot speak about Investing in young people’s training, reskilling
technological advances without mentioning and upskilling now will secure their places in
the role of young people. This ‘digital native’ the future, and make them partners in our
generation has built, improved, adapted region’s economic growth and development.
and consumed technology at an alarming The UAE is accustomed to rapid change and
rate. Arab youth are no exception. Our adaptation, and we will continue to invest
countries are rapidly moving forward with in the potential of young people locally and
digitalisation strategies and embracing the use regionally. No young person should be left
of technology in building societies that have behind; they are our most precious assets.
nimble, adaptable businesses and government
institutions.

It is essential, therefore, that we prepare our If we miss out on this opportunity to prepare
young people for the future which, really, is young people for the future, we will lose out
here with us already. The Arab Youth Center’s on the immense talent and ingenuity that
initiative, the Arab Technology Program is could transform our region. We truly have the
designed to do just that. Our partners at chance to change the trajectory of the Arab
Accenture have shared valuable insights in this world through educating young people; we
report into the demand for new skills in the welcome this challenge wholeheartedly, and
region, as we see the birth of new industries, we look forward to seeing the fruits of our
products, services and processes. Through partnership with Accenture.
our partnership, young people will be able
Here’s to shaping tomorrow through
to learn the skills they need to navigate a
empowering youth today,
working world that is driven by big data, that
values interpersonal and ‘soft’ skills fused with
technical know-how, and expects employees
to adopt a lifelong learning approach to
their careers.

Shamma Al Mazrui, Minister of State

for Youth and Deputy Chairperson
of the Arab Youth Center
 5

Foreword

Technology is disrupting education—as it is tightly with education and its continual

every other industry. And since education development.
uniquely creates our future capabilities, it is
more important than ever that educational Accenture also believes that encouraging
institutes and governments plan for the future innovation is more than recruiting the
of work and life. As the region propels itself brightest minds. While having the best talent
toward global leadership in every field, a new is an asset, people need the right culture to
generation of workers and skillsets is needed. flourish. Accenture has found that a culture
It requires the nation to create innovative of equality—the same kind of workplace
education platforms to foster the workforce environment that helps everyone advance to
of tomorrow. higher positions—is a powerful multiplier of
innovation and growth.
In today’s widespread disruption, innovation
equals survival. Governments, educational In line with its commitment to helping
institutes, and companies must innovate regional talent hone their future workplace
continuously. At Accenture, we believe there skills, Accenture has launched multiple
should be a tremendous focus on facilitating initiatives to help address talent gaps. These
cutting edge research, greater industry initiatives are designed to acquire practical
participation, and international collaboration skills, including critical thinking and problem-
in the education sector. This will not only drive solving, that are universally applicable
industrial, economic, and social development regardless of their professional interests. We
in the region but will also encourage are dedicated to playing an active role in
industries to offer better and more volume developing young talent in the region - an
of placements and internships, enabling a ambition we share with the Arab Youth Center
new generation of workers and skillsets. And that has led to our long term collaboration.
all this can be achieved by tying technology

Alexis Lecanuet, Regional Managing Director

for Accenture in the Middle East.
 6

Introduction
 7

Introduction
Rapid technological completely new roles, many with the majority of repetitive
advancements and of which do not exist today. administrative tasks means
innovations are changing that they can focus more on
the way businesses operate. Certain role clusters, such as patient care.
An exciting new generation physical manual labour or
of technologies—such as machine operation, are more
artificial intelligence (AI), at risk from automation.
blockchain, genomics and Automation is the process
augmented and virtual whereby human decisions
reality—are fundamentally and actions are replaced by a
combination of hardware and For customer support
altering the nature of work.
software. Other role clusters, workers, simple chatbots can
They offer an opportunity such as management and now answer basic customer
for leaders throughout the leadership roles, will likely be queries, leaving human
Middle East and North Africa augmented with technology. workers to tackle more
(MENA) region to diversify Augmentation refers to when complex problems.
their economies, boost
economic growth and create
technology is employed to
support and improve human
As roles and tasks
jobs. In the process, they work and decision-making. change, new skills
can meet the aspirations of
It might, at first glance,
will increase in
young people, by offering
them a better future in terms seem odd to suggest that importance.
of security, education, health skilling workers for advanced
technology such as artificial For nurses, the quality of
and employment. Meeting
intelligence and virtual empathy will become more
this promise requires skilling
reality ought to be a priority important as they focus
and re-skilling at scale, and
for countries in the Arab more on caring for patients.
at pace with the speed of
region. After all, one of the In the Arab region, there is
technological change.
region’s major problems is an urgent need to redefine
Machines won’t youth unemployment. And the idea of learning to
incorporate this influx of new
simply replace this in the context of a wider
population with limited access technologies. Looking at skills
workers. Instead, to quality education and new through the lens of the future
of work.
technology will technology.

reconfigure roles But the reality is that AI- Accenture has identified
certain innate human skills
and tasks. As Paul R. driven automation and
augmentation is already that are difficult to automate
Daugherty and James H.
happening and will affect
Wilson highlight in their —such as:
almost every worker. i
book Human + Machine:
Reimagining Work in the Age
of AI, humans and machines
will complement each other,
and in the process will create
more fluid and adaptive creative thinking complex cognitive
capabilities
work processes. Adapting to
this new world will require
For nurses, for example, which will likely grow
organizations to create
automated software dealing in demand.
 8

However, current education and

corporate learning systems around the
world, and especially in the Arab region,
are not geared towards cultivating these
skills.
iii
The impact is also likely to be uneven across age
groups, gender, economies and industries.
The GCC economies are more advanced in
technology adoption and are investing heavily in
education. They are better prepared to address
these challenges. Other economies in the region
may need to prepare for a heavy displacement of
workers from roles demanding physical manual
labor by completely:

and investing
rethinking planning
in reskilling workers
 9

The urgent need a loss of $42 billion, in Arab of learning will be key to
states GDP. iii The pandemic is facilitating this new way of
for action has likely to increase investment learning. To deliver PACE
only accelerated in AI, as organizations look to learning at scale will require
with the global substitute labor for capital.
The shift to remote working
an ecosystems approach,
driven by partnerships
COVID-19 has also provided companies between businesses,
pandemic, with an opportunity to academia, government and
rethink their operations, and start-ups. Vulnerable groups
which exposed the sharp part of this rethink will likely such as low-skilled workers
digital divide in the Arab involve automating repetitive and women will need special
region. As classrooms moved tasks. attention.
online, students without
access to digital infrastructure Considering that the
were left behind. urgency and complexity
of the challenge, and the
48% of households in the opportunity it offers, it is the
Arab region do not have responsibility of leaders at the
access to home Internet. very top of their organizations
to create the future
around 56 million
workforce, and to create it
now. As Accenture’s analysis
people of school and
shows, inaction in meeting
university-going age live in
the future skills demand could
areas with no mobile phone
have profound consequences
coverage. ii
for G20 economies over the
next decade, at a loss of
nearly one entire percentage
point from their annual
average GDP growth rate
every year. iv The impact on
II
In a survey conducted by the the Arab economies could be
Arab Youth Center, nearly two just as significant.
out of three people between
the ages of 15 and 35 stated
that enhancing and enabling
In every country
internet accessibility is a key in the region,
priority. there is a need to
profoundly alter
The precarious nature of
work for a large section
approaches to
of the workforce has also learning and to
been highlighted by the
COVID-19 crisis. Unlike the design lifelong
2008 financial crisis, the
coronavirus pandemic has learning strategies.
created unemployment across
all sectors, with the services
How can this be
sector being the worst hit. achieved?
Personalized, accelerated,
over 1.7 million people continuous and experiential
in the Arab region could lose —PACE—learning strategies
their jobs. The pandemic also are the key to closing the
resulted in significant decline skills gap. Technology paired
in oil prices and could imply with advances in the science
 10

The Future
of the Arab
World
 11

The Future
of the Arab World
Arab countries are Indeed, according to World However, According to
experiencing a youth Bank estimates, nearly 300 Accenture Research, the
bulge.v Harnessed well, million new jobs need to potential of AI and other
this could translate into a be added by 2050.VI emerging technologies to
demographic dividend that boost economic growth and
powers economic growth.V employment, can only be
If harnnessed poorly, it fully realized if the relevant
could lead to a surge in knowledge and skills are
imparted on the younger
youth unemployment and Many countries in the region generations.
a generation without the have already launched
necessary skills for the global competing initiatives to The need is urgent.
digital economy. propel AI-driven innovation.
Arab nations, taken together,
Digital The UAE, for example, has have the highest estimated
transformation is adopted a National Strategy
for Artificial Intelligence to
youth unemployment rate
in the world (see Figure 1).
one of the ways become a world leader in Young people (ages 15–24)
governments in AI by 2031.vii In 2016, Saudi are four times more likely
the region are Arabia launched the “NEOM”
project, set up as a quasi-
than adults (25 years and
above) to be unemployed.x
looking to: independent special zone Finding better paying and
to attract global investment more productive jobs will
and talent.viii According to improve their long-term social
Accenture’s estimates, AI has and economic prospects.
the potential to add US$182
Diversify Their Empower the billion to UAE’s gross value The youth NEET (not in
Economies youth added (GVA) and US$215 employment, education or
billion to Saudi Arabia’s GVA training) rate is more than
in 2035.ix

Create Jobs
2001 2019

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Youth Unemployment Levels (% of total labor force)

Source: World Bank, https://data.worldbank.
Figure 1: Youth Unemployment Rates among Arab Countries (Ages 15-24) org/indicator/SL.UEM.1524.ZS?locations=ZQ
 12
50 percent among Arab poverty among the employed. one in three would like to
countries, the highest in the However, given their reliance see a closer match between
world in 2019.xi Without on oil exports, the GCC school curriculums and labour
effective strategies and countries are susceptible market needs.xiii Nearly half
institutions to ensure that to slowing growth due to the respondents felt that
young people are learning fluctuations in oil prices. receiving government income
the essential skills needed Further, the estimates of assistance for meeting basic
for them to be productive poverty and unemployment needs is a key priority for
within the local economies, may not be a fair comparison, them, an ask that could prove
future earned income will due to a significant presence increasingly difficult in a world
be compromised. Nearly 32 of foreign workers whose of subdued oil prices and rising
percent of the workers in residency in the country is fiscal vulnerability.xiv
the non-GCC countries are in tied to active employment. Figure 3: Priorities of Arab Youth
jobs earning less than US $3.2 Consider Saudi Arabia: The
(in purchasing power parity) general unemployment rate 73%
70% 80%
every day, the benchmark among Saudi nationals is 62% 70%
for extreme and moderate 12.3 percent, while it is only
poverty (figure 2). 0.3 percent among foreign
60%

There is a stark difference nationals.xii 50%

40%
between resource rich GCC 31%
As education offers the
countries and the non- GCC 30%

obvious route out of

countries, in fact, nearly 17% 20%
unemployment,it is hardly 12% 11%
32% of the workers in the 10% 10%
a surprise that it features 8%
6%
non-GCC countres are in jobs
among the top priorities
0%

earning less than US $3.2 (in

Security and Safety

income and employment opportunities

personal and self-development

technology developement

entertainment
social involvement
environment
infrastructure and facilities
Healthcare
for Arab Youth, along with

Education
purchasing power parity)
security and health (figure 3).
every day, the benchmark
The 2020 "Arab Youth Priority
for extreme and moderate
Survey" by the Arab Youth
poverty. The former show very
Center revealed, nearly three
low levels of unemployment
out of four Arab Youths
rates. Their NEET status is
would prioritise improving
comparable to North America
the quality of education and
and they have near-zero
Source: ILO, World Employment and Social Outlook, 2020,
https://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/---dgreports/---
dcomm/---publ/documents/publication/wcms_734455.pdf.

50.0

45.0 All Arab

Countries Non GCC
Arab
40.0 Countries
35.0
Neet Status

30.0 Asia Pacific

25.0
GCC Arab Central and
20.0 Countries North Western Asia
Africa
15.0
North
10.0 America
Eastern Northern, Southern Latin America
5.0 Europe and Western Europe

0.0
0.0 2.0 4.0 6.0 8.0 10.0 12.0 14.0 16.0
Unemployment Rate

Note: Size of the bubble represents extreme and moderate working poverty
rate in percentages. The values are ILO modelled estimates for 2020. Source: ILO, World Employment and Social Outlook, 2020,
https://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/---dgreports/---
Figure 2: Extreme working poverty is high among Non-GCC Arab countries. dcomm/---publ/documents/publication/wcms_734455.pdf.
 13

Building an innovation economy powered by

intelligent technologies such as

AI, robotics, 3D printing, AR/VR and

autonomous vehicles
— offers a once in a generation opportunity for
the Arab countries to equip domestic talent with
the skills for the future. However, it will require a
deep understanding of how human intelligence
will complement machine intelligence. It will
also require a complete reassessment of the skills
necessary to succeed in the future. Technical
skills will of course be important. But emotional
intelligence, creativity and interpersonal skills will
also become more important.
 14

Address
the Skills
Gap for
the Future
of Work
 15

Address The Skills Gap

For The Future of Work
78 percent of
youth believe GCC countries are
that the quality of doing better:
education in their 80%of the youth
country is not up there feel that the
education system is
to the mark. preparing them for
According to the 11th Annual the future, although
ASDA’A BCW Arab Youth
62% would still prefer
Survey 2019,xv nearly half of
to travel abroad for
the Arab Youth feel that the
current education system is
higher education.
not preparing them for the
jobs of the future. According Overall, the level of human
to the same survey, 78 percent capital development among
believe that the quality of Arab nations is relatively low.
education in their country is According to a study by the
not up to the mark and 53 World Economic Forum, even
percent would want to pursue the best performing Arab
higher education in Western nations are failing to utilize
countries. almost a third of their human
capital to its full potential
(figure 4).

UAE, the best performer among the Arab countries, still

ranked 45th among 130 countries on the human capital
development index.

Yemen 64.5%
Mauritania 58.8%
Morocco 50.5%
Tunisia 49.2%
Algeria 48.5%
Egypt 44.0%
Kuwait 43.9%
Jordan 41.9%
Saudi Arabia 41.5%
Global 38.0%
Bahrain
35.0%
UAE
34.5%

Note: Gap in human capital development in Arab nations is represented in blue Source: WEF - Global Human Capital Index 2017.http://
Figure 4: A large proportion of the workforce is currently not being utilized www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_EGW_FOJ_MENA.pdf
 16

There is growing evidence that the skills

mismatch in the region is impacting
business growth.
The ease of finding skilled employees is below the
global average in most of the countries, with a
few exceptions like UAE and Bahrain. xvi
Band-Aid type measures to change the education
system can help bridge the current skill gaps to
some extent. More importantly, it helps people
develop long-term skills for the future. This will
help countries in the region adapt to technological
changes and prevent the situation from
worsening. This will require a nuanced approach,
underpinned by lifelong learning.
 17

Intelligent technologies
are reconfiguring roles
Addressing the skills challenge be redefined and how tasks described are similar across the
may appear simple: Create a will change as workers are world, including in the Arab
cohort of specialist skills, say, augmented by machines. region. Consider retail cashiers,
by training more engineers or Drawing on US data, Accenture part of the Physical Services
producing more data analysts. grouped the tasks and role cluster. A decade ago,
For example, Microsoft and IDC skills that are typically used they used to stock shelves and
estimate that cloud computing together to define 10 distinct price items each day. Now they
could generate 515,000 jobs role clusters (figure 5). Based may only perform those tasks
in the Middle East and North on whether technology will once a week. But addressing
Africa between 2017 and augment or automate these customer queries has become,
tasks, and combining it with at the very least, an hourly
2022.xvii This approach may help labour force data from across task. In the past, this task
address the skills gap to some 14 G20 countries, the analysis was performed once a day.
extent, but it is not the answer. revealed the relative shift For maintenance engineers
Intelligent technologies will in demand for various kinds working in the Technical
not simply eliminate some jobs of work and the skills that Equipment Maintenance
and create new ones. are rising in importance. xviii role cluster ten years ago,
The results suggest that 51 calibrating equipment was a
The biggest effect of
percent of worker time is once a week task. Today, they
intelligent technologies will be
augmentable, while 31 percent do so only twice every month.
to reconfigure the nature of
of worker time is automatable. Instead, they collaborate every
work and the skills required for
day with their colleagues to
certain roles. To understand The analysis paints a detailed install complex equipment,
how technology will affect and accurate picture of how which in the past they would
the future skills demand, we tasks have shifted between only have done once a month.
need to ask how roles will 2008 and 2017, and the shifts
Role Cluster Typical Activities Illustrative Occupations Illustrative Task Evolution

Management & Supervises and takes decisions Corporate managers Marketing managers handle data and take
leadership and decisions based on social media and web metrics
education
administrators
Empathy & support Provides expert support and Psychiatrists and nurses
Nurses can focus on more patient care rather
guidance than administration and form filling
Science & engineering Conducts deep, technical Chemical engineers and Researchers focus on sharing, explaining and
analyzes computer applying their work, rather than being trapped
programmers in labs
Process & analysis Processes and analyzes Auditors and clerks Accountants can ensure qualit y control rather
information than crunch data

Analytical subject-matter Examines and applies Air traffic controllers Information security analysts can widen and
expertise experience and forensic deepen searches, supported by AI-powered
of complex systems science technicians simulations
Relational subject-matter Applies expertise in Medical team workers Ambulance dispatchers can focus on accurate
expertise environments that and assessment and support, rather than logistical
demand human interpreters details
interaction
Technical equipment Installs and maintains Mechanics and Machinery mechanics work with data to predict
maintenance equipment and machinery maintenance failure and perform preventative repairs
workers
Machine operation & Operates machinery and drives Truck drivers and crane Tractor operators can ensure data-guided,
Manoeuvring vehicles operators accurate and tailored treatment of crops, whilst
“driving”
Physical manual labor Performs strenuous physical Construction and Construction workers reduce re-work as
tasks in landscaping workers technology predicts the location and nature of
specific environments physical obstacles
Physical services Performs services that demand Hairdressers and cooks Transport attendants can focus on customer
physical activity needs and service rather than technical tasks

Source: “It is Learning. Just Not as We Know It,” Accenture, September 18,
Figure 5: Role clusters offer a unique lens on evolving work patterns 2020 https://www.accenture.com/_acnmedia/Thought-Leadership-Assets/
PDF/Accenture-Education-and-Technology-Skills-Research.pdf#zoom=50
 18

Speed Up
Learning
with “Pace”
 19

Speed Up Learning
With “Pace”
With the evolving nature of demand for skills place young Organizations and leaders
work, demand for new skillsets people at a disadvantage. around the world will need
is growing. These skills are not acquired to design more precise and
sitting in a classroom, lecture in-depth lifelong learning
«For Arab Youth, acquiring hall or a library. They are strategies, taking advantage of
these new skills is critical typically acquired over a opportunities and minimizing
for securing future roles» longer period of time, through risks. The needs of each
practice and experience. individual learner will have
For Arab Youth, acquiring Today’s educational and to be met, with increased
these new skills is critical for training institutions are not personalization required to
securing future roles. In fact, equipped to build these skills. cultivate a combination of
as Accenture’s analysis reveals, these skills in every individual.
a combination of four skills— In the UAE, 2018 was deemed Hands-on, experiential
Complex Reasoning, Creativity, as “The Year of Zayed”, learning, rather than passive
Socio-emotional Intelligence named after the nation’s absorption through reading
and Sensory Perception skills— founder, His Highness Sheikh or listening, is required to
is becoming increasingly Mohammed bin Zayed. Several promote faster and deeper
relevant for almost every single initiatives by both the public learning. The workers most
role. It is particularly true of and private sectors were run in need must be prioritized.
certain role clusters that are to demonstrate the values In short, learning systems
likely to grow in importance and lessons of empathy, must be redesigned to become
with the spread of intelligent compassion and generosity; personalized, accelerated,
technologies. This will include, traits the country wants to continuous and experiential.
for example, “Management emphasize as essential skills. We call it the PACE model of
and Leadership”, for which learning.
a combination of complex Learning systems need to
reasoning, creativity and adapt to meet the evolving Personalized
socio-emotional intelligence skills demand and the Arab Today’s educational systems
is of paramount importance world is no exception. track the macro-level “output”
(see figure 6). The changing of institutions. For example,
“STEM” skills are measured by

Skill Description Illustrative occupations

Complex reasoning Critical thinking, deductive reasoning, active Management and leadership science and
learning and its set of higher-order cognitive engineering analytical subject matter
capabilities. expertise
Creativity Becoming more creative in our daily activities Management and leadership science and
engineering

Social emotional intelligence Active listening , social perceptiveness, Management and leadership empathy
persuasion creation and service orientation, and support
negotiation and service orientation
Sensory perception A wide range of sensory capabilities Technical equipment maintenance
that just have been simulated through our machine operation and maneuvering
increasingly intimate relationship with digital
technologies

Figure 6: The new skillsets that are increasingly important across every role

Source: Accenture analysis of data from The Occupational

Information Network (O*NET) of the US Department of Labor
 20
the number of engineering only enhances retention, but 30 participants and was quickly
graduates, while developing also cuts training time by half. scaled to 200 participants
creativity has meant tracking from other companies, such
arts and humanities graduates. Accelerated as Stockholm Grand Hôtel,
In the process, the needs of each Workforce and skills rank Courtyard by Marriott Hotel,
individual learner are glossed high on the list of priorities and McDonald’s. xxi
over. And what’s especially for CEOs and policymakers.
neglected is the need to cultivate Forty percent of employers The cost of inaction could be
a blend of skills within each in the MENA region already huge. Accenture’s analysis
worker. report skill shortage as a major shows that if skill-building
barrier to business growth. does not catch up with the
For Arab Youth, these blended XX
And with ever-changing pace of technological change,
skillsets will be essential to skills requirements, this gap the G20 economies could lose
successfully address the changing could quickly turn into an as much as US$ 11.5 trillion
demands of emerging, digital unsurmountable chasm. in cumulative GDP growth
economy. over the next decade. xxii In
Urgent action is required to Europe, a one percent increase
While advances in technology accelerate learning in key in training days is estimated
are reshaping the skills required skills. Workers often have to result in a three percent
for the modern workforce, transferable skills that can help increase in productivity. xxiii
they also present possible ways them switch to other growing
of navigating these changes. sectors of the economy. The impact on Arab nations
Technology, especially artificial However, when left on their could be equally pronounced.
intelligence, can help to own, labour markets take a In the MENA region, four to six
personalize learning. long time to match supply workers enter the job market
and demand. Accelerated every year to replace one
Custom learning paths can skilling requires mechanisms person leaving the workforce.
be designed by assessing the to quickly assess skill shortages
XXIV
This is coupled with a huge
relevant skills gap, using data and rapidly train and re-deploy backlog of unemployed and
on individual learning, social workers. underemployed youth, a large
context, personal interest proportion of which earns
and life stage. Adaptive This is achievable, if driven by less than living wages in the
learning platforms can create leaders with a shared sense informal economy. Skill gaps
customized content. Platforms of purpose, and who are span across basic human skills,
can continuously evaluate the committed to overcoming such as creative thinking, to
progress of learners, in order limiting mindsets and sector specific and functional
to fast-track those who show a bureaucratic red tape. In skills.
good grasp of the content, while Sweden, a consortium of
directing others to additional public and private sector The good news is that workers
resources where required. organizations recently launched of all generations are ready to
Area9 Learning, an organization a rapid re-skilling program to embrace the new digital reality,
that seeks to provide world- help workers laid off due to the as multiple Accenture surveys
class educational and training COVID-19 crisis. Scandinavian reveal. And they are eager to
outcomes through an end-to- Airlines had to temporarily acquire the skills that will help
end, cloud-based platform, is layoff nearly 90 percent of them remain relevant.
an example of how an adaptive their cabin staff. These workers
learning platform can transform had basic medical training Continuous
education. xix According to and were experienced in As each person will require
Area9, 70 percent of training dealing with people in difficult a complex combination of
content is forgotten within 24 situations. The Airlines worked skills to succeed in the digital
hours. To counter this, they use with Novare Human Capital economy, it is important that
artificial intelligence to adapt (a Swedish HR and search educators begin cultivating
their lessons and activities to company) and Sophiahemmet these evolving combinations
the learner’s needs, suggesting University to launch a three- of skills in Arab Youth right
additional drills to improve and-a-half-day program to train from elementary school. For
mastery of the content. They them for the role of assistant example, in the UK, there
believe that their system not nurse. The pilot started with are heated debates over
 21
whether initiatives to promote categories of skills: basic skills,
STEM skills are compromising competencies, personality traits
efforts to promote creativity and specialized skills. The UAE
through classes in music, art is complementing this strategy
and drama. Universities and with a variety of programs and
colleges need to make greater initiatives, such as the National
efforts to cross-fertilize ideas Training Platform (aetraining.
and promote multi-disciplinary ae) launched with the aim of
learning. Lifelong learning, making 18,000 UAE citizens job
encompassing a broad range of ready in the next three years,
complex reasoning and higher- by helping them to develop
order cognitive skills, needs skills relevant to specific
to become a way of life both sectors (including customer
inside and outside companies, service, real estate, oil and
irrespective of whether the role gas, electrical and mechanical
currently demands it or not. engineering and the retail
industry).
The UAE is taking steps in
this direction. Its “Advanced
Skills Strategy” aims to
promote life-long learning
for its citizens, recognizing
the importance of four main

Overcoming barriers to lifelong learning

Ensuring that education is accessible is just as important as the programs themselves.

Traditional classroom teaching cannot hope to make lifelong learning accessible to
all. Digital learning platforms can help people learn at their convenience, anywhere
and anytime. In fact, if anything, the COVID-19 crisis has only emphasized the
importance of these platforms. However, it has also exposed some of the challenges
of using technology to promote learning. Keeping engagement levels high, essential
for retention and course completion, is challenging in an online environment. The
average course completion rate among MOOC (massive open online course) enrolees
is only around 15 percent.

Blended learning models complement online learning with in-person study groups and
tutoring sessions to provide more personalized attention and a human touch. Social
learning is integral to addressing the skills gap spurred by intelligent technologies,
such as acquiring socio-emotional intelligence. Blended learning allows an optimal
mix of in-person, dynamic interactions, coupled with intellectual activity facilitated
by technology to address such gaps.

Lifelong learning also poses new challenges around assessment and credentialing.
While gamification and social learning can help improve completion rates for courses,
blockchain can help improve the transparency and efficiency of learning systems. For
example, fraud-proof certificates, acceptable across borders, can be made accessible
to employers using blockchain. Blockcerts is an open standard to create and secure
blockchain-based certificates, allowing individuals to share their official records
with employers. The prototype was developed by the MIT Media Lab and Learning
Machine. It is now being developed by Hyland Credentials (formerly Learning
Machine) as an open source project with the goal of allowing a wave of innovation
that developers can utilize to empower individuals to possess and share their records.
XXV
Blockchain can also be used to develop transparent education funding models,
particularly relevant for overcoming systemic inefficiencies and corruption.
 22
Experiential collaborative hands-on Barriers range from
With experiential learning, learning about rare diseases. disagreements among
learners are active participants Etihad Aviation Training and businesses, labour unions and
in the educational process, Abu Dhabi’s Khalifa University government on how to pay
rather than passive recipients of Science and Technology for apprenticeship programs,
of knowledge. In recent years, have collaborated to develop to incalcitrant families that
advances in neuroscience and innovative and more engaging view apprenticeships as a lesser
technology have helped push training procedures. These new form of education. There are
rapid progress in experiential procedures may include various some positive signs, however.
learning techniques. What’s applications, gamification and The French government, for
more, as a review of research virtual reality to create a more example, has taken steps to
by the Dartmouth Center for immersive training experience make apprenticeship more
the Advancement of Learning for the next generation of attractive by increasing the
shows, the skills that are airline pilots. xxix monthly pay, raising the
growing in demand (and maximum age of participants
which will be very important Realistic simulations can from 26 to 30 and giving
for Arab Youth to develop) also help workers to master businesses and labour union the
are those best acquired manual tasks, reinforcing freedom to decide the minimum
through experiential learning correct procedures on the qualification for vocational
techniques. xxvi shop floor. ThyssenKrupp, the training programs. xxx
German industrial services
Numerous studies highlight giant, is equipping its elevator
the importance of experiential technicians to consult subject-
learning in improving learning matter experts through
outcomes. These studies Microsoft HoloLens, an
also highlight the value of Augmented Reality headset.
technologies such as virtual And Walmart is training its
and augmented reality in employees to respond to real-
facilitating experiential world scenarios, such as a
learning. The US National spill in an aisle, using Oculus
Training Laboratory found that Rift Virtual Reality headsets.
immersive learning through Advances in 5G networks,
virtual reality increased haptic technologies and
retention rates to 75 percent, holograms promise to push
far above the 10 percent for these boundaries further.
reading-based learning and
five percent for lecture-based Nothing, however, can
learning. xxvii Washington match the real-world
University Professors of experience gained through
Psychology and Brain Sciences, apprenticeships. During an
Henry Roediger and Mark apprenticeship, a young
McDaniel, report that students person has the chance to
learn more by solving problems build the full range of skills
rather than by being taught that a job demands, while
the solution, with increased continuing their education.
skills retention. xxviii Switzerland has manged to
keep youth employment rates
Technology is relentlessly extremely low through a
pushing the boundaries culture of apprenticeship built
of experience. Use cases over a century. However, the
range from aircraft pilots highly successful Switzerland
practicing dangerous and Vocational Education and
stressful situations in the Training model has proven
safety of simulation training, difficult to replicate across
to physicians experiencing countries.
 23

Apply Pace
at Scale
 24

Promote Multi-Stakeholder
Partnerships
Multi-stakeholder EASEL Lab at the Harvard saw over 375,000 individuals
partnerships are key to Graduate School of Education, register for the first edition. It
reskilling and upskilling to develop a set of interactive is backed by agreements with
workers at scale. The web-based tools that will several companies to provide
ecosystem, which comprised help education practitioners employment opportunities to
of governments, corporates, build a broader and deeper graduates of the program.xxxiv
universities and other understanding of socio-
independent institutions, emotional learning.xxxi It is While ecosystems are driven
needs to connect the dots initiatives like these that can by the ideal of “equal”
between education and prove critical in nurturing and partnership, they still need
employment to balance enhancing the skills for the a governance mechanism,
supply and demand. Digital future from an early age. with focus on data privacy
technologies can help bring and security. There should
stakeholders together for Adopting an ecosystems be a central entity where all
an efficient rollout of the approach could potentially the data can be stored and
skilling program. These run into funding challenges. accessed, enabling public-
partnerships not only ensure This is where governments private players in the system
shared responsibility, but can play a critical role, to track qualifications, skills,
also promote cost sharing, finding innovative ways to work preferences, job history
reducing the economic incentivize dormant learners. and more. Technologies like
burden on a single entity. Singapore launched the blockchain can guarantee
SkillsFuture initiative in 2016. the authenticity of data
The power of an ecosystem- The initiative pays US$370 for and ensure that there is no
approach can help overcome government-approved courses duplication. Analytics can
seemingly insurmountable to all citizens aged 25 years continually assess job market
barriers. For example, creative and older. xxxii France launched dynamics and suggest the
thinking and socio-emotional a similar initiative in 2019, most in-demand skills, or
intelligence are often offering €500 per year (with even create customized
considered “hard to measure” a lifetime ceiling of €5,000) learning paths for individuals
skills, thus complicating to all active workers for based on their strengths and
education reform. The Ayrton enrolment in courses of their preferences.
Senna Institute in Brazil has choice. xxxiii
developed a data-driven tool Once any country, including
to assess socio-emotional skills Digital platforms can play a those in the Arab region,
of students aged 11-19 . In significant role in bringing establishes an in-sync
2019, they partnered with public and private sector ecosystem of education and
three Brazilian states and six organizations together to employment, tremendous
municipalities to roll it out scale up skilling programs. opportunities emerge to make
in public schools. In North Supported by various learning and job seeking more
America, ten foundations stakeholders, including dynamic and interactive.
have come together to form Udacity, Facebook and Oracle,
the Funders’ Collaborative the UAE government’s One
for Innovative Measurement, Million Arab Coders, is a
which develops and platform providing free digital
administers online tools skills development training.
for assessing interpersonal Launched with the goal to
and intrapersonal skills. The train one million Arab coders
collaborative funded the over three years, the program
 25

Build Awareness
In preparing for the future At an individual level,
of work, Arab Youth need intelligent technologies can
to be aware of the skills that help learners make informed
will be relevant in the future. decisions based on their
Attention grabbing media specific interests, experience
coverage on automation and life stage. The use of
and the replacement of intelligent technologies to
workers by robots are largely guide skills development is
unhelpful here. Even when only a natural progression
individuals do become aware from the paper-based
of the skills that they need assessment systems that’s
to succeed, selecting from a already in place for those
multitude of educational and entering the workforce. It not
learning options is a daunting only enables scale, but also
task. augments human intelligence
to offer a more accurate and
How can governments, comprehensive evaluation of
businesses and other the learners’ requirements.
organizations raise awareness For example, TalentBoost
of the skills that will be Academy, a Dutch talent
important in the age of development company, uses
automation and artificial an AI-based solution that
intelligence? Oman’s Future looks at individual motivation,
Skills Initiative offers an personality and learning data
example. In partnership with to assess their suitability for
the World Economic Forum, a job, offer personalized
the Supreme Council for learning and track their
Planning has identified the progress.
skills that will be important
for raising the country’s
productivity.xxxv This helped
the country’s government
identify gaps in the current
system and to develop a guide
to action for policymakers
and stakeholders, including
private sector leaders, youth
groups and academia. The
initiative aims to drive close
collaboration between
businesses, government and
academia to address the
skills gap. Employers, youth
and academia are being
encouraged to engage in
this drive to prepare for the
digital future.
 26

Empower The
Vulnerable Learners
Automation is likely to affect older workers with the skills added jobs in the private sector
lower-skilled work much that they need to remain and vanishing employment
more than other types of productive needs to be a opportunities in the public
work (see figure 7). With priority, especially given sector. Restricted mobility,
nearly 13 percent of workers their general reluctance to cultural resistance and personal
engaged in low-skilled work participate in training and safety issues act as additional
across the MENA region, a corporate bias toward barriers to address the gender
there is a significant risk investing in skilling the youth. disparity.
that intelligent technologies Adult learning, as the 2019
could further deepen social World Development Report
and economic inequalities. notes, can be improved in
Countries in the region are
In Tunisia, for example, low- three ways: “more systematic
taking steps to help women.
skilled employment makes diagnoses of the specific
In a 2018 Harvard survey of
up 22 percent of all formal constraints that adults are
over 2,000 Saudi mothers,
sector jobs.xxxvi Businesses facing; pedagogies that are
65 percent of respondents
and governments in the customized to the adult brain;
reported that they were
region need to act together and flexible delivery models
not looking for a job either
to ensure that the learning that fit in well with adult
because they wanted to focus
revolution does not leave lifestyles.”xxxviii
on their children or due to
these workers behind.
Women too will need the lack of affordable and/
Targeted interventions for targeted attention. Women’s or quality childcare. XXXIX To
the youth will be needed. labour force participation in address this, the government
The tasks performed by many the Arab region is extremely has focused on supporting
young workers carry higher low compared with the rest of women in their childcare
risk of automation and they the world. The ILO estimates responsibilities by introducing
are more likely to end up it to be around 18 percent, initiatives such as Qurrah, a
unemployed or inactive which is almost 60 percentage childcare subsidy programme.xl
after losing their jobs to points lower than the male Companies with more than 50
automation. xxxvii labour force participation female employees are now also
rate. As women in the region required to provide
But the focus can’t exclusively gain access to education, company-based nursery
be on youth. Another group their desire to take up paid facilities. xli These initiatives
of workers with limited jobs is growing. But at the can be supported by offering
access to training are workers moment, women’s prospects women internships and
in smal-and medium-sized are restricted by limited experience, raising awareness
enterprises. Equipping opportunities for high value- of new opportunities and
shifting social attitudes. xlii

Time subject to augmentation Time subject to automation Share in employment

High High High

63% Skilled work 21% 21%
Skilled work Skilled work
Medium Medium Medium
Skilled work 43% Skilled work 51% Skilled work 66%
Low Low 69% Low
Skilled work
27% Skilled work Skilled work 13%

Figure 7: The impact of intelligent technologies on workers by skill levels and MENA’s employment distribution by skill level

Source: Accenture analysis of national labour force data and

World Economic Forum, Human Capital Index 2016.
 27

Reach for
Tomorrow –
Now
 28

Reaching for
Tomorrow – Now
To reap the potential benefits Governments will need
of the global technological to harness the power of
boom, developing the skills ecosystems to advance the use
required to succeed in the of intelligent technologies,
global digital economy must and to ensure that those
be an urgent priority for every entering the workforce, and
country in the Arab region. those already employed,
have the relevant skills
Today’s educational and to succeed in the digital
training systems were built economy. Start-ups and
for the industrial age, when private sector companies will
a diversity of skills across the find newer opportunities for
workforce was important. As the application of intelligent
human-machine collaboration technologies in the skilling
grows, a blend of skills within space.
each worker will become
more important: creativity, The need for forward-
socio-emotional intelligence looking and agile-skilling
and complex reasoning skills programs will continue to
are becoming more important grow. Economies that learn
in every work role. to collaborate and that
embed skilling into their
The continuously evolving development program, will
demand for skills means be able to respond quickly
countries in the region need and effectively to the rapidly
to design a new learning changing market dynamics of
model that is personalized, our digital world.
accelerated, experiential and
continuous PACE. Individuals,
rather than institutions, need
to be at the center of the new
learning model. Intelligent
technologies such as artificial
intelligence, blockchain
and augmented and virtual
reality will play a key role in
empowering individuals and
promoting lifelong learning.
 29

Key
Recommendations
 30

Role of Role of private Role of academia

Governments sector, including and teachers
start-ups

Promote open data initiatives Benefit from advances in Be prepared to teach and
to stimulate innovative neuroscience and the deeper, assess students in new skills
approaches from experts and faster, more personalized like complex reasoning, socio-
academics, such as combining learning brought by new emotional intelligence and
national statistics with real- technologies like AI and VR creativity.
time hiring data to generate
more granular and accurate
insights.

Fast-track next generation Embed experiential learning Promote more project-based

technologies such as 5G into everyday work, learning, active learning,
networks and advances in facilitated by AR and VR collaborative learning and
headset-based and haptic instilling a growth mindset in
technologies to transform students.
experiential learning
opportunities.

Apply advanced big data Experiment with blockchain Start the process of lifelong
and analytics solutions to to provide secure, and experiential learning right
track labour market and skills transparent, decentralized from schools.
dynamics more accurately. credentialing and funding
models for lifelong learning.

Follow the example of Engage in ecosystem play,

Germany, Austria and with close collaboration
Switzerland in making lifelong between public and private
learning accessible to all organizations, universities,
through apprenticeships. start-ups and venture capital.

Governments must improve the Build next-generation

enabling environment that will digital learning platforms,
allow education and corporate such as Udacity (US) and
learning initiatives to thrive in Coorpacademy (Switzerland),
the next technological era. to accommodate schedules and
learning styles.

Support individuals with

personalized learning funding
schemes.
 31

Authors

Paolo Ebene,
Health & Public Services Managing Director
[email protected]

Shalabh Kumar Singh

Thought Leadership Research Senior Principal
Accenture Research
[email protected]

Davide Capitanio
Innovation Strategy and Ventures Lead
Accenture
[email protected]

Hanane Lakehal
Technology Program Lead
Arab Youth Center
[email protected]

Doaa Kazweni
Associate Consultant
Arab Youth Center
[email protected]
 32

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank Armen Ovanessoff, Carla Issa, and
Swati Sah from Accenture Research and Carlos Escobar Fuentes and
Zayd Shehadeh from Accenture Strategy, and Loren Naish from the
marketing team of Accenture for their contributions to this report.

About Accenture
Accenture is a leading global professional services company,
providing a broad range of services in strategy and consulting,
interactive, technology and operations, with digital capabilities
across all of these services. We combine unmatched experience and
specialized capabilities across more than 40 industries – powered by
the world’s largest network of Advanced Technology and Intelligent
Operations centers. With 505,000 people serving clients in more than
120 countries, Accenture brings continuous innovation to help clients
improve their performance and create lasting value across their
enterprises. Visit us at www.accenture.com

About Accenture Research

Accenture Research shapes trends and creates data-driven
insights about the most pressing issues global organizations face.
Combining the power of innovative research techniques with a deep
understanding of our clients’ industries, our team of 300 researchers
and analysts spans 20 countries and publishes hundreds of reports,
articles and points of view every year. Our thought-provoking
research — supported by proprietary data and partnerships with
leading organizations such as MIT and Harvard Business School —
guides our innovations and allows us to transform theories and fresh
ideas into real-world solutions for our clients. For more information,
visit www.accenture.com/research

Copyright © 2020 Accenture. All rights reserved. Accenture and its logo are
registered trademarks of Accenture.

About Arab Youth Center

The Arab Youth Center (AYC) was established to realize the vision
of His Highness Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime
Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs, to empower young
Arabs and address their needs. The Center offers a unique platform
to develop youth capabilities and support innovation and creativity
among youth. AYC implements purposeful initiatives across diverse
sectors, in addition, it conducts research on young Arabs to help
decision-makers shape policies that enable their progress.
 33
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 34
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