As industries across the world evolve in response to artificial intelligence, green technologies and digital transformation, the way we develop and deliver workforce skills must evolve too. At the UAE-UK Business Council webinar, discussing UK-UAE Collaboration in Skills: Industry Perspectives, I had the privilege to be on an incredible industry-driven panel chaired by Dame Heather McGregor where I had the opportunity to share insights on how inclusive, co-created skills strategies are essential to ensuring no one is left behind in the shift to future economies.

The webinar explored how to address the need to future-proof the workforce in both countries by attracting, recruiting, upskilling and retaining talented professionals in technical and vocational careers, and how the UK and the UAE can collaborate to overcome the associated challenges.

Key insights from my discussion on the panel include:

1. Embedding inclusion into upskilling for emerging industries

At People 1st International, and through my role as Chair of the UK Skills Partnership (UKSP), we believe inclusion should not be an afterthought; it must be the foundation of all workforce development efforts. Employers can embed inclusivity into upskilling and reskilling by:

• Co-creating learning pathways with employees, training providers and community organisations, especially ensuring the voices of underrepresented groups are heard. A great example is the inclusive recruitment and training centre we developed in partnership with Majid Al Futtaim and EBRD in Egypt.
• Removing practical barriers such as language, digital access or scheduling by designing learning that is flexible, multilingual, and accessible in different formats, including asynchronous modules.
• Investing in inclusive leadership so managers are equipped to lead diverse teams and support transitions into AI and green tech roles.
• Using disaggregated data to measure who is engaging in learning and who isn’t and using those insights to adapt and improve reach.

Inclusion, when embedded from the start, doesn’t just expand opportunity it drives innovation and resilience across organisations.

2. Co-creating workforce development with industry and education

If we’re serious about aligning training with the future economy, we must design programmes with the workforce, not just for them. Co-creation is the guiding principle of the UKSP and is at the heart of the UK-UAE collaboration. Practical steps could include:

• Establishing cross-sector advisory panels that unite employers, educators, and policymakers to guide curriculum development, especially in fast-evolving fields like engineering, AI and sustainability.
• Using real-time labour market data to forecast skills needs and feed insights directly into programme design.
• Piloting employer-led curriculum projects, where UAE and UK businesses co-design modular, responsive training content in partnership with educators, such as through our Skills Academy model.

These steps build agility, relevance, and inclusivity into workforce strategies, future-proofing our economies together.

3. Stackable credentials: A pathway to lifelong, inclusive learning

Flexible, self-directed learning is no longer a luxury, it’s a necessity. Stackable micro-credentials are a powerful tool to help individuals adapt continuously to the rapid pace of change in AI and beyond.

• They allow modular, on-demand learning that learners can build up over time into recognised qualifications.
• Employers benefit from precision upskilling, with learning mapped directly to specific job roles and emerging skill needs.
• Crucially, micro-credentials support inclusive participation by lowering entry barriers and providing learners with clear, confidence-building progress markers.
• To succeed, micro-credentials must be quality-assured, industry-recognised, and internationally portable, like the transnational models we see through platforms such as FutureLearn.

By embracing flexible models, we can ensure continuous learning is accessible, relevant, and future-focused.

Co-creation as a catalyst

The discussion with key industry-led examples reinforced that co-creation is the key. Whether it’s designing inclusive pathways, aligning with economic trends or innovating learning models, success lies in collaboration. Across borders, sectors and skill levels, we must work together to build a workforce that is not only ready for the future but actively shaping it.