Education For Employment (EFE), in partnership with the Ras Al Khaimah Human Resources Department (RAK HR), has completed a seventh successful work readiness training program for young Emirati talent, as part of Citi Foundation’s Pathways to Progress program.
The newly graduated cadre of 31 young female Emiratis underwent two weeks of rigorous training designed to equip them with a robust set of essential professional skills needed to enter the competitive UAE job market.
Vital soft skills, including interpersonal communication, problem-solving, negotiation, and customer service, were complemented by sessions on CV writing and how to prepare for job interview success. In addition, participants received personal and professional development coaching that covered goal setting, time management, and teamwork topics, as well as other key skills required for future workplace success.
“A wide-ranging skillset is key to career success in today’s highly competitive job market, and we have partnered with RAK HR since 2018 to support young Emirati talent in developing their personal and professional skills in order to launch them on the path to a rewarding and evolving career. More than 130 young people, to date, have benefited from the program, which is also supported by Citi Foundation and we continue to reach out to youth preparing to take their first career steps,” said Dima Najim, Managing Director, EFE-UAE.
The program has been meticulously developed to guide youth through the early stages of career pathway development by focusing on delivering a set of professional and technical skills that are in high demand by employers.
“Soft skills are critical for every employee, manager and CEO as they result in better teamwork, boost efficiency and help optimise productivity. Equally relevant as technical skills, today’s employers place huge value and emphasis on recruiting soft skill-trained talent. At EFE we are seeing a trend from companies looking to implement focused training programs designed to improve the quality and performance of newly employed graduates,” added Najim.
Shamsa Al-Falasi, CEO of Citibank N.A., UAE, emphasized the importance of this training program, stating: “Today, we’re thrilled to see that our partnership with EFE and RAK HR Department has helped such a talented pool of young Emirati women become work-ready and secure jobs that will enable them to succeed in their future endeavours”. “The strategic partnership between Citi Foundation and EFE falls within Citi UAE’s commitment to promoting young talent locally and creating economic opportunities for Emirati youth to thrive,” added Al-Falasi.
At today’s graduation ceremony, which was held at RAK HR’s offices, course graduates shared their training experience and learnings, and were awarded certificates of attendance by Aamna Al Shehhi, Head of Emiratization for RAK HR.
The Department emphasized that the work readiness program underscores its unwavering dedication to promoting Emiratisation and supporting the UAE’s national talents in the job market. The primary objective of the program is to enhance the skills of young individuals, equipping them to tackle the prevailing challenges in today’s workplace effectively, as the program offers them valuable opportunities to refine their abilities and significantly enhance their prospects of securing suitable employment.
Following the 2021 launch of the Nafis initiative, updates to existing Emiratisation law, and 2023-announced mandate that private sector companies in the UAE with more than 50 employees are required to commit to at least two per cent UAE national workforce, this has prompted renewed interest from employers in sourcing top local talent.
EFE is committed to reaching out to its existing partners, as well as identifying potential new partners, in order to support the UAE Government and the Emirati youth population by providing skillset training to bridge the workplace transition and help companies identify the very best Emirati talent in the market.
