Emirates signed a Memorandum of Understanding with government-backed Emirates National Development Programme (ENDP) at the Careers UAE 2007 Exhibition, to boost training and employment opportunities for talented young UAE nationals. The one-year agreement signed by Masooma Hassan, Emirates’ Manager National Recruitment and Development and Azzah Al Sharhan, Director of ENDP, paves the way for a fresh batch of 300 UAE nationals to join the rapidly-expanding and multi-award winning Emirates Group.

Launched in 2005, under the aegis of His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, the ENDP has identified six sectors - trade, hospitality, real estate, semi-government, insurance and banking - to provide nationals with long-term career opportunities. The programme strives to integrate young UAE nationals into the current workforce engaged in building the UAE’s future, and has thus far placed over 1,200 nationals in the private sector.

ENDP and Emirates will each appoint a project manager to oversee the campaign. Selected candidates will undergo comprehensive sector-specific training, including a three-month English course at the Emirates Training College, enabling them to jump-start their careers in the booming travel industry.

In announcing the start of the campaign, Masooma thanked ENDP for its support and stressed the significance of the new agreement as yet another contribution of the Group towards realising Sheikh Mohammed’s vision of making nationals participate in the UAE’s blistering growth.

Masooma noted: “The programme will open new doors for learning, and personal and professional growth for young, hard-working and talented UAE nationals. The Emirates Group has a well-planned induction programme and a dynamic environment to ensure new recruits have opportunities to prove their competence.”

The selected candidates will be placed in various departments such as Emirates Airport Services, Emirates Group Security, Dnata Passenger Services, Emirates SkyCargo, and the Group’s many Call Centres.

Azzah Al Sharhan, Director of ENDP, said: ‘ENDP has provided work placements for 482 UAE nationals since the beginning of this year. With the signing of three agreements at the career fair, we will achieve 50 per cent of our total target for 2007.’

Emirates is at the forefront of meeting national development needs. The Group has a 25-staff National Recruitment & Development department, aided by an AED 60 million training budget, that conducts road shows, school visits, invites participants for summer training, and partakes in the annual Career Fair.

The increasing importance being paid to Emiratisation by the Group - 35 per cent of Emirates’ senior management, and 12 per cent of its Cockpit crew, Aircraft Licensed Engineers and Mechanics are UAE nationals - is beginning to pay dividends as larger number of UAE nationals are seeking careers with the Group on a year-to-year basis.
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