{
  "id": 3937045,
  "title": "Firms will recruit school leavers over university graduates, Gems boss predicts",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/28/firms-will-recruit-school-leavers-over-university-graduates-gems-boss",
  "topic": "business",
  "section": "Business",
  "published": "2026-08-28T10:28:06.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The National Business",
    "slug": "the-national-business",
    "url": "https://www.thenationalnews.com/news/uae/2026/08/28/firms-will-recruit-school-leavers-over-university-graduates-gems-boss-predicts/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "A prominent figure in the UAE education sector has predicted that companies will begin hiring school leavers over university graduates, according to a report by The National. Dino Varkey, the chief executive of Gems Education, stated that those with a diverse set of skills will be best placed to thrive in the changing job market. Varkey emphasized the importance of schools exposing students to a broad curriculum and igniting their curiosity to succeed in a fast-changing world. He believes that the next step in recruitment will be targeting high school students directly, rather than just university graduates, as the world's leading companies currently do. Despite the challenges faced due to the Iran war, Varkey remains optimistic about the future of education in the UAE. He highlighted that the education sector recorded record-breaking academic results last year, despite the conflict. Schools have resumed in-person learning after a period of remote learning due to the pandemic, with strict safety measures in place. Varkey praised the adaptability of Gems teachers during the disruptions caused by the Iran war, noting that they maintained a calm and capable approach to ensure learning continued. The education group has also increased its capacity to accommodate more students, with plans to expand further over the next three years.",
  "summary": "Having a degree in one subject might not be enough to join the UAE workforce in the coming years, group chief executive of Gems Education has said. Those with skills in a variety of areas will be best-placed to thrive, as the demands on young people entering the workplace will be different from before, Dino Varkey told The National . There will also be an increase in the number of pupils being…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "The National UAE",
        "title": "Firms will recruit school leavers over university graduates, Gems boss predicts",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/28/firms-will-recruit-school-leavers-over-university-graduates-gems-boss-3940618",
        "published": "2026-08-28T10:28:06.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}