QCDC’s Career Guide Helps Young People Plan For Post-pandemic Future

Qatar Career Development Center recently launched the 11th edition of its Career Guide magazine, which aims to tackle challenges posed by COVID-19 – within the education sector and labor market – and help young people plan for a post-pandemic future.

The new issue of Qatar Career Development Center’s (QCDC) Career Guide looks closely at the future of the educational process, expectations, and lessons learned from the global pandemic, which has forced most countries worldwide to apply strict precautionary measures, suspend in-person classes in schools and universities, and pivot to e-learning. Through interviews with an exclusive group of experts in human resources, economics, and futurology, the 11th edition discusses the future of work in light of the pandemic and post-pandemic effects.

The challenges and solutions facing the education sector in Qatar are the focus of a discussion with H.E. Dr. Ibrahim bin Saleh Al Nuaimi, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Education and Higher Education, where he expands on the ministry’s ongoing efforts to help the sector overcome the COVID-19 crisis. And an interview with Sheikha Latifa Khalid Al-Thani, Education Sector Executive at Microsoft Qatar, about her career and her inspiring journey as the first Qatari woman to work at the global tech giant, is an opportunity for the youth to learn from her experiences.

In honor of the tremendous efforts the nation’s healthcare workers have exerted during the COVID-19 crisis, the magazine’s Exploring Careers section is dedicated to highlighting a variety of medical professions, introducing young people to the details of each position and the skills required.

Abdulla Al-Mansoori, Director, QCDC – a member of Qatar Foundation – explains why the Career Guide has been a vital resource for more than a decade, saying: “QCDC has always been keen to support Qatar Foundation’s tireless efforts aimed at assisting Qatari society’s various segments, and at providing the necessary resources to empower the local youth, so they can choose the best way to support the nation's growth.

“We strive to make career guidance the best means to help young people achieve their professional and practical aspirations, by appropriately guiding skills and potentials in a manner that serves Qatar’s future aspirations. Therefore, we focus our efforts on reaching all community groups, especially students and youth, through various activities and events that help them achieve a better understanding of career guidance.”

Apart from Career Guide magazine, QCDC issues a wide range of other specialized publications. In February 2020, QCDC career guidance experts released the Career Q&A for Graduates and Job Seekers, tackling the most frequently asked career questions, to help them take practical steps in their career path. Last November also featured the publication of a written guide for parents of children aged 4-17, titled the Role of Parents in the Career Guidance of Their Children. In a move aimed at attracting Arabic-speaking career advising and guidance experts, QCDC cooperated with the Asia Pacific Career Development Association to create an Arabic edition of the Glossary of Career Development Terms published in 2014.

The magazine comes in an interactive version available through an electronic application for smartphones and tablets on the App Store and Google Play. The soft copy is available for download on the Publications section of the QCDC website, which also includes the soft copies of all previous editions, and is included in Qatar National Library’s Online Resources database.