DUBAI - MENA Herald: Graduates of Expo 2020 Dubai’s Apprenticeship Programme are today celebrating the successful completion of their nine-month learning and on-the-job training.
Working alongside industry experts in a number of departments including Commercial, Communications, Procurement and Real Estate and Delivery, the graduates learned a wide range of skills to help them build promising, successful and long-lasting careers.
Open to UAE-based university graduates under the age of 28, the programme received more than 2,700 applications. The apprentices, representing 14 nationalities, were chosen after several rounds of workshops, shortlisting and interviews.
With the completion of the programme, Expo 2020 is proud to be assisting with placing such competent and highly-skilled graduates into the UAE’s workforce, and is delighted to announce that 80 per cent of the graduates will continue in roles at Expo.
Manal AlBayat, Senior Vice President, Business Development and Integration at Expo 2020 Dubai, said: “With young people at the heart of Expo 2020 Dubai, the programme represents our vision, ambition and pursuit of excellence, embodying our subtheme of Opportunity in ensuring that new horizons are opened to individuals to help them meet their current needs, and their future aspirations.”
Launched in April 2016, the Expo 2020 Dubai Apprenticeship Programme was designed in line with global best practice to equip the apprentices with the necessary confidence and skillset to bridge the skills gap between university graduates and experienced professionals.
The final apprentices were selected based on their leadership and teamwork skills, and ability to identify and solve problems under pressure. They were then trained in effective communication, workplace efficiency, project management and how to apply innovation and creativity in the work place.
Neha Ahmed who worked with the Event Operations department and graduated the programme with high distinction, said: “When I started,I did not know what to expect, but it quickly became clear that we would not only learn a lot, but also be given the opportunity to put it all into practice.
“My favourite part were the job placements. Having the opportunity to learn from such experienced individuals about the planning of an event of this scale, and seeing all the work that goes into it, was definitely the highlight for me.”
To facilitate the apprentices’ growth, experienced colleagues were provided as mentors, able to share knowledge and give their advice and support when required.
“When I began the work placement I was reading the Expo site masterplan and I was struggling to absorb and understand all the information,” said graduate Yusuf Al Ali who worked with Expo’s Real Estate and Delivery team.
“So my mentor sent me out of the office and onto the Expo site itself so that I could see the technical aspects of the construction at first hand. When I saw all the activity and everything I’d been reading about actually taking place, it gave me a much stronger understanding of the construction practices and scale of the project.”
One of the primary objectives of the programme was to provide apprentices with exposure to expertise and experiences that they may otherwise not get in a different environment.
Vikita Shahani, who graduated with distinction, having been part of Expo’s Exhibitions and Public Realm team, said: “My colleagues have worked on past Olympic Games and World Expos, so for me to be able to work closely with them meant I could really draw on their experience.”
“This has helped to fast track my development and I have been given a level of responsibility at Expo 2020 that I wouldn’t have if I was working for a different company.”
Moving forward, the Expo 2020 Dubai Apprenticeship Programme has been integrated with Jafza’s ‘Tumoohi’ programme, combining the tested and proven structure and content developed by Expo with Jafza’s extensive network of public and private sector partners, to create a new programme that will have a significant impact on unemployed Emirati youth.
“This is a reflection of our continued support of the UAE’s focus on youth empowerment, and the progression to an economy based on human potential,” added Manal AlBayat.
“The graduates will be an important part of Expo 2020 Dubai’s economic and social legacy, which we are working so hard to build.”
