Facing Human Capital Challenges of the 21st Century Education and Labor Market Initiatives in Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates: Executive Summary

by Gonzalez, Gabriella; Karoly, Lynn A.; Constant, Louay; Salem, Hanine; Goldman, Charles A.

• ISBN13: 9780833045683
• ISBN10: 0833045687
• Edition: Bilingual
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2008-12-16
• Publisher: RAND Corporation

Summary

Summarizes the education and labor market initiatives implemented or under way in four countries in the Arab region (Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates) to address the human resource issues they each face as they prepare their countries for a place in the 21st century global economy. Together, these countries highlight the variety of challenges faced by countries in the region and responses to those challenges.

Table of Contents

Preface	p. iii
Figures	p. vii
Tables	p. ix
Acknowledgments	p. xi
Introduction	p. 1
Human Resource Challenges Faced by the Arab Region	p. 1
Research Questions	p. 5
Analytic Approach	p. 5
Diagnosis and Articulation of the Problem: What Are the Human Resource Challenges Faced by Each Country?	p. 6
Approaches to Addressing the Problem: What Reforms Have Been Developed of Are Under Way?	p. 6
Availability of Resources for Policy Evaluation: What Mechanisms Are in Place for Evaluating Policy?	p. 8
Approach to Data Collection and Interviews	p. 9
Rationale for Country Selection	p. 11
Limitations of the Study	p. 12
Organization of This Document	p. 13
Economic and Sociopolitical Context for Reform in the Four Study Countries	p. 15
Reliance on Natural Resources for National Wealth	p. 15
Sociopolitical System: The Role of Participatory Democracy	p. 19
Diversity of the Economy	p. 22
Composition of the Labor pool	p. 24
The Case-Study Approach	p. 28
Human Resource Challenges and Reform Efforts in Qatar, UAE, Oman, and Lebanon	p. 29
Qatar	p. 29
Human Resource Challenges	p. 29
Reform Efforts Under Way	p. 31
The United Arab Emirates	p. 34
Human Resource Challenges	p. 34
Reform Efforts Under Way	p. 36
Sultanate of Oman	p. 38
Human Resource Challenges	p. 39
Reform Efforts Under Way	p. 40
Lebanon	p. 42
Human Resource Challenges	p. 42
Reform Efforts Under Way	p. 44
Conclusions	p. 47
Significant Human Resource Challenge	p. 47
Active Engagement with Reforms to Education and Training Systems, Labor Markets, and the Economy	p. 51
Education and Training Reforms	p. 51
Reforms to the Labor Market and Economy	p. 55
Lack of High-Quality Data and Evaluation Systems	p. 58
Value of Policy Evaluation	p. 61
References	p. 65
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