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Al Ain job fair to focus on Emirati youth

The up to 20 per cent Emirati youth unemployment rate will be targeted during the fifth annual Al Ain Education and Career Fair next month.

The fair, to be held at the Al Ain Convention Center from April 22 to 24 under the patronage of Shaikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister of Culture, Youth and Community Development, is set to bring the spotlight on Emirati job seekers, fresh graduates and school-leavers.

Exhibition director Khurram Saeed said a number of ‘leading organisations’ had signed up for the fair and there was a range of opportunities available for fresh graduates and job-seekers. The event would provide a platform to connect with employers and identify potential career opportunities, he said.

“Furthermore, companies looking to strengthen their workforce will be able to meet the country’s finest national graduates. The support of these organisations is essential to the development of the UAE, especially since the youth unemployment rate among Emiratis is between 15 to 20 per cent,” he said.

According to a recent study by Gulftalent.com, the companies most preferred by Emirati graduates include Mubadala and Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (Adnoc), both of which will be taking part in the three-day fair. They will be joined by a number of the region’s leading companies including Etihad Airways, Etihad Rail and Senaat, and other business sectors.

The fair was partnered with Bayt, the region’s leading job search portal, to host a CV clinic for the first time where fresh graduates and job seekers will have the opportunity to learn how to develop their CVs.

School leavers will also have the chance to meet some of the country’s leading higher education institutions, such as Al Ain University, Berkeley Middle East, Khalifa University and the New York Institute of Technology and University of Sharjah. According to the Statistics Center- Abu Dhabi (Scad) there are currently close to 30,000 Emirati students enrolled at universities in Abu Dhabi and Al Ain.— olivia@khaleejtimes.com