As many as 400 Emirati male and female students participated in the third and final week of phase 5 of the YES to Work initiative at Yas Mall for the summer 2015.

Launched and run by Abu Dhabi Centre for Technical and Vocational Education and Training (ACTVET) under the patronage of H.H. Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs, the Start to Work Initiative targets passionate Emiratis eager to learn and polish their intrapersonal skills and contribute to achieve the UAE leaders' vision. The national initiative encourages young Emiratis to gain professional experience in the private sector by offering them the opportunity of a work placement and training in retail services during their summer and winter break. Its vision is to enhance Emiratisation in the private sector as part of the government's Emiratisation objective, which aims to encourage Emiratis' entry into industry driven knowledge front, train local talent, and facilitate the emergence of a sustainable talent pool for the future, strengthening the economic development prospects in the long-term.

ACTVET's Director-General Mubarak Saeed Al Shamsi and Ali Al Marzouqie, Chairman of Emirates Skills, visited the Yas Mall to inspect the field work of the interns and interacted with them about their work experience in the retail sector.

'Engagement of Emirati youth in work place experiences comes within the ACTVET's advanced national strategy towards fulfilling requirements of the UAE Vision 2021 and Abu Dhabi Vision 2030,' he said, adding that the initiative aims to achieve several national, practical objectives including instilling work values among young generations; building the capacity of skilled Emirati youth with the sense of responsibility towards the nation; qualifying young Emiratis with accredited certificates in retail services and operations; encouraging young Emiratis to work in the private sector; empowering young Emiratis by providing them with specific knowledge, skills and best practices through job shadowing, training and apprenticeship programmes; and developing further opportunities of employment for Emiratis.

The YES to Work Phase 5 targets 800 students and will run in over 150 locations in Abu Dhabi, Al Ain, Western Region, Dubai, Sharjah and Ajman from 8th to 27th of August, 2015. The final week from 16th to 27th August involves 11 retailers in Abu Dhabi, Al Ain, Dubai, Sharjah and Ajman.

The three week long programme, which will be held during summer vacation, provides students with the chance to gain professional experience in a real work environment and acquire specific knowledge by attending a course in retail services. The participants in the YES to Work Initiative who successfully complete the three week long programme will be rewarded with a cash prize and will receive a certified qualification in Retail Services accredited by the UAE National Qualification Authority (NQA).

Week 1 involved a series of workshops from 8th-13th August, 2015 with highly qualified training staff to prepare the student for work placement and provided them with basics of management of retail services.

During Week 2 and 3, students will engage in work placement where they will be able to gain experience in various professional areas such as sales, customer service, stock replenishment, and many others.
Source: WAM