A new partnership between Qatar Foundation (QF) and the International Labour Organization (ILO) has been launched to generate evidence-based insights that will help shape the future of Qatar’s workforce. The collaboration will draw on data from QF’s extensive Alumni Impact Study, which tracks employment outcomes and career paths of graduates over the past 25 years, along with other labour market research. Using this information, QF and the ILO will co-author five policy briefs aimed at supporting national decision-makers with recommendations that advance Qatar’s human capital development goals.
These briefs will focus on key labour priorities for the country, including addressing skills gaps between graduates and employers, strengthening national talent retention, enhancing entrepreneurship readiness within higher education, improving alignment between education and labour market needs, and promoting gender equality and inclusive employment. The partnership marks the first formal publication effort between QF and the ILO since the establishment of the ILO Project Office in Qatar in 2018, reflecting a deepening collaboration between the two institutions.
The memorandum of understanding was signed during the WISE 12 Summit in Doha. QF leadership emphasized that the partnership will help translate educational insights into practical workforce policies, supporting Qatar’s Third National Development Strategy. The ILO noted that access to the anonymized Alumni Impact Study dataset will allow the organization to apply global labour market expertise to develop concrete, evidence-based recommendations aligned with Qatar National Vision 2030.
QF’s Alumni Impact Study offers a comprehensive overview of graduate trajectories from eight partner universities and Hamad Bin Khalifa University, examining employment sectors, skill relevance, job satisfaction, and perceived alignment between education and work. With over 11,000 graduates across fields ranging from engineering and medicine to public policy and the humanities, the dataset provides a substantial foundation for labour market analysis.
Building on this data, the ILO and QF will produce the five policy briefs and accompany them with national dialogue sessions involving ministries, universities, employers, and civil society. These discussions aim to identify actionable steps for strengthening Qatar’s workforce and supporting a knowledge-based economy grounded in decent work principles.
Qatar Foundation, celebrating 30 years of work in education, research, and community development, continues to invest in human potential through its multidisciplinary ecosystem at Education City. Meanwhile, the ILO — a tripartite UN agency active since 1919 — continues its mission of promoting social justice and decent work globally, including through its regional office for Arab States and its project office in Qatar established in 2018.
