Building the future GCC workforce: Lessons from global trends and Palladium’s experience

GCC economies are diversifying faster than ever. New industries are emerging, technology is transforming traditional sectors, and governments are investing heavily in their people. But one question remains: how can we ensure today’s professionals have the skills that tomorrow’s markets will demand? Palladium Partner Barbora Stankovicova shares her perspective.

Around the world, countries are moving from relying on degrees and certificates to looking at actual capabilities. This shift to a “skills-based economy” is already reshaping how employers hire, how people learn, and how governments plan. And it’s a shift that matters deeply to the GCC, where a young population, ambitious national visions, and a high share of expatriate labour are shaping a unique workforce challenge – and opportunity.

Learning from around the world

Germany’s dual education system, Singapore’s SkillsFuture, and Canada’s Skills for Success all point to a common truth: when employers, educators, and governments work together, people get the skills that industries need.

Global companies like Google and IBM have dropped degree requirements for many roles, focusing instead on verified competencies. Others are investing in digital badges, bootcamps, and modular learning that allow workers to move between sectors as economies evolve.

Countries are building national skills frameworks – common languages for what a skill is, how it’s measured, and how it’s recognised – so that a welder in one sector can transition to another, or a programmer trained online can get credit equal to a university course.

These examples aren’t abstract policy moves. They’re practical systems that keep economies competitive and make sure no talent is left behind.

Palladium’s Skills for Prosperity programme

Palladium has seen this work up close. Through the flagship UK government’s Skills for Prosperity (S4P) programme, we’ve worked across nine countries to connect education to employment in ways that make sense for both learners and businesses.

In South Africa, for example, we helped the automotive component industry analyse quarterly labour data, identify gaps, and create placements for learners in real factory jobs — all while showing employers the return on their investment in training.

In Guatemala, we worked with local training institutes and over 400 employers to tailor curricula to real job openings, connect young people to job fairs, and re-train HR teams to look for skills instead of just degrees. The result: thousands of young people placed in jobs and tens of thousands more created through strengthened employer networks.

And in Moldova and Armenia, our teams worked with universities and technical colleges to update curricula so social assistance professionals could use data to manage benefits programmes more effectively, while preparing new graduates with in-demand analytical skills.

The common thread? Ecosystem governance and monitoring, partnerships, and a focus on real-world outcomes, not just training numbers.

Why monitoring matters

It’s one thing to run a training course; it’s another to know whether that training actually worked – for the learner, for the employer, and for the economy.

Monitoring is the missing link between investment and impact. It helps governments see which programmes are producing jobs, which are producing mismatches, and where to adjust quickly. It helps employers trust that the skills they see on a résumé mean something in practice. And it helps workers prove what they can do, no matter how they learned it.

Strong monitoring systems can:

• Help policymakers pivot faster when markets change.
• Show where money is best spent by tracking hiring, wage growth, and mobility.
• Hold training providers accountable for quality, not just quantity.
• Give employers confidence to hire based on skills, even from non-traditional pathways.

At Palladium, we’ve seen that when monitoring is built into every step, it changes behaviour. Employers engage more. Students choose courses with confidence. Governments target funds where they matter most. And entire ecosystems begin to adapt in real time, not years later.

What the GCC can do

The GCC has the vision, resources, and urgency to lead the next chapter in skills-based economies. To make it happen, five priorities stand out:

1. Build and Enhance Regional and National Skills Intelligence Systems
Collect and analyse real-time labour data to anticipate needs, plan investments, and benchmark across the region. In Saudi Arabia: MHRSD’s Qiwa and Skills Accelerator platforms already gather valuable signals. Expanding this into a full intelligence hub could guide policy, education, and even migration planning.

2. Make Monitoring Part of Every Reform
Don’t wait until programmes end to ask what worked. Track outcomes – hiring, wages, mobility – from day one. New tourism and tech bootcamps could measure how many learners get jobs, how quickly, and at what pay, feeding insights into the next round of training.

3. Share Data with the Private Sector
Create dashboards that show employers where talent is, what skills are available, and where gaps remain. In Saudi Arabia, Sector Skills Councils have been created and further development towards integrating data into a shared view would help companies plan recruitment and help policymakers direct training budgets.

4. Reward Results, Not Just Effort
Tie incentives to verified outcomes – like successful hiring and retention – not just enrolment numbers. Local content development score boosts could go to employers who hire based on verified skills, creating a virtuous cycle of skills-first recruitment.

5. Tell the Story, Build the Trust
Publish an annual “Skills Transformation Report” to show progress, attract investors, and motivate partners to stay engaged. Along with the national programs for human capital development, a transparent skills progress report could demonstrate how the Kingdom is moving from degrees to capabilities – and set a benchmark for GCC neighbours.

The GCC: From vision to reality

Across the Gulf, the building blocks of a skills-based economy are already in place: ambitious national strategies, strong education systems, and private sectors eager for qualified talent. What’s needed now is integration, measurement, and momentum.

The key lies in a robust ecosystem governance, which can make or break skills reform. When public and private actors plan together, share data, and align incentives, you don’t just train people – you transform economies. It’s the difference between isolated programmes and a living system that keeps adapting as industries evolve.

When public and private sectors share data, align incentives, and focus on what actually drives jobs and productivity, entire economies shift gear. And when those shifts happen at a regional level, the GCC can position itself as a global hub for future-ready talent.

At Palladium, we’ve seen how the right systems – backed by evidence, trusted by employers, and designed with inclusion in mind – turn workforce reform from a plan on paper into opportunities for millions. The GCC has the chance not just to follow global trends, but to define them.