Concluding part
It is important to remember that the primary barrier to exporting manpower to Europe is the language of the respective country. Although labor markets are shrinking in various European nations, opportunities still exist for those who are proficient in the language. Under these circumstances, it is essential for us to focus on improving the linguistic skills of our workforce. It should also be noted that language proficiency is acquired much faster at a young age; it becomes increasingly difficult as one grows older.
In our current education system, European Union languages-other than English and Arabic-are generally not taught institutionally up to the college level. There are, of course, logical reasons behind prioritizing English and Arabic alongside the mother tongue. However, given the current reality, we must consider whether a student can be taught an economically powerful European language before completing college. It is true that a new language opens up a new world for an individual. At the same time, it creates new windows of opportunity for economic gain. The harsh reality is that even after completing college, a significant number of our students do not achieve sufficient proficiency to communicate effectively in English or Arabic. We must ensure that the process of learning a European language as a third or fourth language does not suffer the same fate.
It is true that it is not possible for us to suddenly manage this situation by confronting these realities. Therefore, in this arising situation, our primary goal should be to create a skilled workforce that is desired by labor markets outside of the Middle East. This is necessary so that we can handle the upcoming risky period and keep the lifeblood of our economy flowing in the long run. In this regard, we must also remember that the risk of job loss is being created not only by wars and conflicts but also by technological advancement. It is said that due to the expansion of Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology, many entry-level jobs will disappear by 2030. Needless to say, these effects will become visible first, especially in industrialized countries.
It is important to remember that remittance is one of the key driving
forces of our economy. In this context, any deficit means its impact
will be felt in various ways across our domestic economy. If we want to
keep the wheels of our economy turning, we must ensure a continuous flow
of overseas employment for our workforce.
The skill development for our workforce must now be carried out with this potential reality in mind. If we fail to do so, earning foreign exchange through expatriate remittances will become significantly more difficult in the future. There is no better time than the present to take steps toward keeping pace with future demands. Any major warfare brings about sweeping changes in political, economic, and social structures. When such conflicts occur between superpowers, they also transform the global order. While the shifts in the world order resulting from the conflict involving the U.S.-Israel and Iran may not yet be fully apparent, it is clear that: It has called the dominance of the dollar into question. Several oil-producing nations are now selling oil in alternative currencies. If the dollar's supremacy in the international market declines, the Middle Eastern labor market, in particular, may suffer indirect consequences.
It is important to remember that remittance is one of the key driving forces of our economy. In this context, any deficit means its impact will be felt in various ways across our domestic economy. If we want to keep the wheels of our economy turning, we must ensure a continuous flow of overseas employment for our workforce. Therefore, our primary goal now should be to develop workers equipped with the specific skills that are in demand in international markets. While it is true that the expansion of Artificial Intelligence will reduce job opportunities in many sectors, humans will still be needed behind the scenes to manage and operate AI. Can we not focus on developing those skilled workers who can perform at the mid-level?
Above all, it is crucial to keep in mind that the advantage of the demographic dividend we currently enjoy will no longer exist after 2040. At that time, even if we wish to, our opportunities for exporting manpower will diminish due to certain limitations. Young labor will be required to meet domestic demands instead. In the context of the current situation, it is comprehensible that we do not have much time left to reap the benefits of our demographic dividend. Under these circumstances, our primary goal should be to ensure that our workforce remains employable abroad and can maximize its contribution to the national economy through foreign exchange earnings. If we fail to ensure the professional skills and earning capacity of our manpower during this period, it will be incredibly difficult for us to recover from the resulting loss. The government has set a target to transform the country into an upper-middle-income nation by 2031 and a developed nation by 2041 in terms of per capita income. For this reason, and to ensure that the flow of foreign exchange earnings remains uninterrupted, special attention must be given to this area.
The writer is an army officer
