Universities have to change to bridge the skills gap

Education in the Mena region must transform to reflect the changing market, according to experts.

Ismael Al-Hinti, president of Al Hussein Technical University in Jordan told AGBI that young people entering the jobs market in the region face a skills mismatch, with unemployment rates highest among the most educated.

The answer, according to Al-Hinti, is to change the structure of university education. 

“Universities have to evolve or they will face an existential threat,” he said. Instead of expensive four- to five-year programmes, universities should offer “micro-credentials and stackable and accelerated pathways” that allow students to “up-skill and re-skill”.

Watch the video to find out more about the future of education