Dubal enrols 62 UAE national students for annual summer training programme
Annual two-month training programme provides technical skills training and teaches professionalism to tomorrow’s leaders.
A group of 62 secondary and tertiary UAE National students, aged 15- to 22 years old, have begun to benefit from personal exposure to a real-life working environment this summer, thanks to their enrolment in the annual Summer Students Programme hosted by Dubai Aluminium Company Limited (“DUBAL”).
The two-month programme, which runs from 21 June until the end of July this year, forms part of DUBAL's continuing nationalization drive to improve understanding of the aluminum industry's workings amongst young UAE Nationals. This year’s participants were selected from several educational institutions throughout the UAE, including various schools, Al Ain University, the Higher College of Technology, the American University of Sharjah, the American University of Dubai, Sharjah University, NIVE and IAT. The group, which comprises 48 students from high schools and 18 from various colleges and universities, also includes students on DUBAL’s Scholarship Programme.
"Our Summer Students Programme is aligned with the vision of H H Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum (Deputy Ruler of Dubai, UAE Minister of Finance and Chairman of DUBAL), who considers the initiative to be a valuable means of improving individual UAE Nationals' skills, as a way of accelerating the prosperity of the entire nation," says Marwan Al Sawaleh (General Manager: Human Resources) "We also use the programme to identify the students with the most potential. Many previous summer students currently hold senior positions within DUBAL, where more than 70 per cent of executive management positions are currently held by UAE Nationals."
By tradition, the training programme began with an orientation session, where the students were given a comprehensive and in-depth introduction to DUBAL's major operations, including insight into its facilities (through a plant tour and viewing of DUBAL’s educational film) and familiarization regarding the company’s Safety policies and procedures. Over the course of the two-month period, the students will also receive instruction on technical operations, as well as courses in administration.
Each of the 62 trainees has been assigned to one of DUBAL's various divisions, depending on their respective qualifications, educational standards and relevant skills. “Without exception, the students are excited at the opportunity to learning from DUBAL, albeit for a comparatively short period of time,” says Al Sawaleh. “We are equally excited at the opportunity to invest in the education of these promising young adults.”
