UAE jobs: Work permits for teenagers will help them gain experience

Dubai - Step-by-step guide for kids aged 15-18 years​

Members of diverse fraternities in the UAE have welcomed the federal decision allowing students aged 15 and above to soon work in the country under a temporary visa scheme.

The new provision for students will enable them to gain some experience, while adding value to the UAE economy.

Hailing it as a “great initiative”, community members have lauded the UAE government for the reform, which was announced earlier this month as part of the Projects of the 50.

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For their part, education experts have said that “connecting the worlds of learning and work” by collaborating with industry leaders is vital to better prepare young people for future work and life.

Simon Herbert, CEO at GEMS International School – Al Khail, said the move will allow young people to gain “a taste of real-life employment”.

“In the modern world, where our young are sheltered from so much, it is heartening to hear of an initiative that will allow them to gain an insight into working life, albeit on a small scale.

“Our students will benefit by seeing how tough it is to work for a living, and applying what they have learned in school to real-world situations. Society too will benefit by impressing upon its young that earning a wage, budgeting and contributing to a workplace are valuable in their own right, not simply through a theoretical educational lens.”

Matthew Tompkins, Principal/CEO, GEMS FirstPoint School, noted the move was an “excellent step forward” — and recalled how his own part-time work experience as a young man helped him try different things.

Here, he speaks about why bringing the classroom and workplace together has broad public benefits.

Future gains

Meanwhile, youngsters in the country opined that earlier exposure to the workplace would help them make informed decisions pertaining to future career choices.

Ishan Vaish, a student of The Millennium School, Dubai, said, “Gaining work experience at a young age and also having the opportunity to earn a little money will give us a sense of independence. It will help us understand the value of money and budgeting as well as teach us how the economy works.”

[KT Graphic: Samlal]