Exporting Finnish Vocational Education and Training to the United Arab Emirates: Opportunities and Challenges
Al Hamad, Muntaser (2020)
Al Hamad, Muntaser
2020
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Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2020061118393
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2020061118393
Tiivistelmä
Internationalization is a modern approach impacting the orientation, utilization and growth of all educational sectors across the globe. The latest vocational education and training (VET) changes have been followed by a cycle of internationalization, in line with neoliberal economics, globalization, shifting international workers and consumer economies, and information economy requirements. Even if internationalization is evident in different aspects of the vocational education system, both in developing and developed countries, it is a trend that is often ignored current literature.
The primary aim of the study was to recognize the obstacles that Finnish VET providers face in transmitting technical and vocational training to the United Arab Emirates (UAE (, along with potential approaches to address those challenges. Therefore, the qualitative approach was chosen for the study, and the data was collected by conducting five semi-structured interviews. Based on the literature review, seven core methods were considered for developing the Finnish VET system in the UAE. These included institutionalized VET research and consultancy, distance education, local branch campuses, twining partnership, staff and student mobility, and specific in-company training.
According to the findings, the interviewed experts were very optimistic about the student and staff mobility. Moreover, the most important challenges identified for VET Finnish providers were the lack of an international strategy among VET providers in the UAE, the low social value of VET in the UAE, gaining government support both financially and legally, and a lack of interest in private sector jobs among the Emiratis due to low wages compared to the public sector. Moreover, the challenges also included the alignment of Finland's education program with the UAE's training program and the labor market, and finally, unavailability of bilingual, motivated and qualified trainers.
Some of the most effective solutions to tackle the problems were collaborating with UAE strategic-level organizations and developing international cooperation expertise in VET, creating a positive image of Finnish VET models in UAE, choosing a suitable and experienced logistic partner for international cooperation, reforming career guidance systems in the UAE as well as hiring local experienced teachers and instructors who are familiar with both the Arabic and English languages. The solution also included finding external sources of enterprises and industries, building a forum for offering advice and distributing best practices regarding academic teachers' career development, and implementing a structured programme of teacher training.
The primary aim of the study was to recognize the obstacles that Finnish VET providers face in transmitting technical and vocational training to the United Arab Emirates (UAE (, along with potential approaches to address those challenges. Therefore, the qualitative approach was chosen for the study, and the data was collected by conducting five semi-structured interviews. Based on the literature review, seven core methods were considered for developing the Finnish VET system in the UAE. These included institutionalized VET research and consultancy, distance education, local branch campuses, twining partnership, staff and student mobility, and specific in-company training.
According to the findings, the interviewed experts were very optimistic about the student and staff mobility. Moreover, the most important challenges identified for VET Finnish providers were the lack of an international strategy among VET providers in the UAE, the low social value of VET in the UAE, gaining government support both financially and legally, and a lack of interest in private sector jobs among the Emiratis due to low wages compared to the public sector. Moreover, the challenges also included the alignment of Finland's education program with the UAE's training program and the labor market, and finally, unavailability of bilingual, motivated and qualified trainers.
Some of the most effective solutions to tackle the problems were collaborating with UAE strategic-level organizations and developing international cooperation expertise in VET, creating a positive image of Finnish VET models in UAE, choosing a suitable and experienced logistic partner for international cooperation, reforming career guidance systems in the UAE as well as hiring local experienced teachers and instructors who are familiar with both the Arabic and English languages. The solution also included finding external sources of enterprises and industries, building a forum for offering advice and distributing best practices regarding academic teachers' career development, and implementing a structured programme of teacher training.