du welcomes Emiratis onto its fifth summer training programme

As a demonstration of its dedication to the UAE community and to furthering the career prospects of Emiratis, du has welcomed a fresh wave of UAE nationals into the fifth edition of its summer training programme. The trainees include high school, Diploma and Bachelor degree students, as well as university graduates. 

Throughout the 2 month summer training programme, trainees will join various divisions within du, including Human Resources, IT, Operations, Corporate Affairs and Enterprise Sales. They will each have individual Training Plans that will be overseen by du’s National Development team and their Line Manager.

Yaser Obaid, Senior Vice President of Human Resources, du, said: “We believe that the most valuable job skills are gained through real-life work experiences, and that, by providing Emiratis with these skills early on, they will have improved job prospects and better workplace integration. This is precisely why we created an all-encompassing and comprehensive training programme that covers real-life issues across a wide range of departments and occupations. Our summer training programme is in line with our mission to empower young UAE nationals. We wish them every success on the programme.”

In addition to its summer training programme, du continues to provide internship opportunities to 30 students annually from Universities across the UAE. Du is honoured to support the Majid Bin Mohammed UAE National Training Initiative, which the company has participated in as a strategic partner since 2012. The Private Office of HH Sheikh Majid bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum has twice recognized du’s support of the initiative and for promoting the UAE leadership’s efforts to boost Emiratisation.

Last year, du trained five graduates on the, two of whom, Alia Al Shehi and Reem Al Khaja, enrolled on the company’s Graduate Trainee Programme and is currently employed with du.

“I learned a lot from the Training Initiative that I didn’t learn while I was studying on university; it enriched what I learnt as a student. Working at du was always my goal, and with the help of the National Training Initiative programme I got the chance to work here. I received all the support from the team and HR to stay on and start my career,” said Al Shehi.

“My participation in the initiative complemented my academic career and added practical experience to my portfolio. My three months training at du provided me with many functional skills related to my degree. The training also contributed in enriching my contact portfolio by working on a number of vital projects,” said Al Khaja.

For 2013, du has signed a contract to take on an additional five trainees, who will work with du for 3 months. Each trainee will receive a structured work plan that will be overseen and assessed by du’s Human Resources department and the trainee’s line manager. Each work plan is designed to develop personal and professional skills, such as building up their confidence, making them responsible, and developing thier communication and presentation skills.

“We are proud to support the Majid Bin Mohammed UAE National Training Initiative, as a demonstration of our commitment towards Emiratisation. The Initiative is a positive effort towards helping Emirati graduates to gain industry experience, and we are eager to offer them this as part of our responsibility towards society,” added Yaser Obaid.

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