A new PwC Middle East report has revealed that developing local and international talent pools will be crucial to the growth of Qatar’s manufacturing sector, which plays a central role in the country’s push to diversify its economy.
The need to develop and attract local talent pools is highlighted in the identification of two of nine strategic enablers in the Qatar Manufacturing Strategy focusing around developing Qatar’s local and international talent pools.
“The manufacturing sector in Qatar is a priority sector under the National Vision 2030 programme and a key contributor to the government’s economic diversification agenda,” said Dr. Bashar Eljawhari, Consumer and Industrial Products and Services, Partner at PwC Middle East. “However, growth of the sector is dependent on the availability of appropriate skills and competencies. In our report, we highlighted five interventions that should be prioritised to bridge the talent demand and supply gap in the manufacturing sector.”
Qatar’s current skills gap
Qatar’s current skills gap can be attributed to several factors, such as:
- Labour misallocation
- A skewed labour market
- Immigration policies
- A relatively static structure of the education sector
- An inactive population – reaching 13% in mid-2021
As Qatar continues its path of diversification and strives to achieve its Vision 2030 objectives, closing the skills gap should be a key priority for the growth of the manufacturing sector.
PwC’s analysis showed that if the talent demand in the Qatar pharmaceutical manufacturing sub-sector alone is met, the sector is likely to contribute an additional QR4.7 billion (US$1.3 billion) to the GDP in 2030.
“While there may be an adequate supply of highly skilled individuals willing to work, skills gaps still arise, specifically when the skills of the available workforce do not match those needed for the roles that need to be filled,” said Randa Bahsoun, New World New Skills Leader at PwC Middle East. “To attract, develop and retain appropriate skills and competencies vital to the growth of the manufacturing sector, key stakeholders need to work collaboratively to implement recommended initiatives.”
Need for intervention
The report recommends a collaborative approach in trying to solve the skills gap – especially among specific government entities, the education sector, manufacturing businesses and ministries.
The initiatives fall under three priority areas, the report said, including talent planning, talent attraction and talent development. The success of these initiatives is expected to drive growth in the manufacturing sector, which could increase overall economic growth and strengthen Qatar’s non-oil economy.
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