Al Ghurair Young Thinkers Program Launches in UAE, Seeks to Prepare Emirati Youth for Higher Education, Future Careers

The Abdulla Al Ghurair Foundation for Education (AGFE) announced the launch of the Al Ghurair Young Thinkers Program (YTP) in the United Arab Emirates to empower youth between 15 and 25 years old to make successful transitions from school to university and from university to the job market.

The program offers the first of its kind technology-based solution and raises the awareness of young Emiratis about the jobs and industries of the future and helps them develop the skills required by top employers.

This program is fully funded by the Abdulla Al Ghurair Foundation for Education. The Foundation has been working with experts at Arizona State University for 1.5 years to design and deliver a bespoke program to suit the needs of Emirati youth. The program is offered to the youth on a fully digital, web-based platform, with a mobile app version for Android and iOS that employs gamification techniques to encourage engagement.

Partnership for National Competitiveness

His Excellency Abdul Aziz Al Ghurair, Chairman of the Abdulla Al Ghurair Foundation for Education, said: “As part of the Abdulla Al Ghurair Foundation for Education’s initiatives in the UAE, we are committed to offering young Emiratis access to the latest innovations in university- and career-readiness. With education as one of the main priorities in the UAE’s National Agenda, we are confident that the Al Ghurair Young Thinkers Program will support efforts to build national human capital that is capable of coping with change across different economic sectors, internalizing the attitude of competitiveness and success and building the future that the founding father of the UAE, late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan aspired to.”

Reiterating that it is important for all stakeholders to join efforts in supporting a generation of Emiratis equipped for the future with the right skills, Al Ghurair added: “We welcome the close partnership with the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation and hope it will to invite new thinking on the innovative possibilities in public and private sector collaboration.”

The Abdulla Al Ghurair Foundation for Education signed an MoU with the UAE’s Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation on cooperation in supporting the transition of Emirati youth from education to employment. The partnership will support the organization of workshops, forums, information sessions, high-level discussions and training courses throughout the country.

His Excellency Nasser bin Thani Al Hamli, Minister of Human Resources and Emiratisation praised the Abdullah Al Ghurair Foundation for Education’s new program for Emirati youth and its commitment to developing the skills they need to succeed in the labor market.

The partnership between the Ministry and the Foundation reflects the direction of the wise leadership on the need to combine national efforts through strengthening public-private partnerships and complementarity of roles in support of the Emiratization process.

Three Program Components

Listing the main objectives of the Program, Maysa Jalbout, CEO of the Abdulla Al Ghurair Foundation for Education, said: “This program aims to create new opportunities for students in secondary and university education, as well as first job seekers, in the UAE. It further helps them sharpen their skills and make the right decisions about their higher education and careers.”

Explaining the mechanisms of the program, she said: “The Al Ghurair Young Thinkers Program utilizes three main mechanisms to prepare youth for university and work; namely, the planning tools introducing students to work trends in the UAE job market, the digital courses to nourish skills necessary for success in a rapidly changing world, and Success Advisors who understand youth needs and aspirations and interact with them to answer any questions they have.”

“Developed in cooperation with researchers, academics, and life-long learning specialists at Arizona State University in the United States of America, the Program offers bespoke technology-based solutions designed especially for young Emiratis to prepare them for higher education and the job market,” said Jalbout. She highlighted the analytical tests the program requires – smart engaging discovery games, such as the me3 game, that helps students understand their interests to make informed decisions while choosing the right university or career path.

Success Advisors

The Al Ghurair Young Thinker’s Program further offers university and career coaching for students in the form of Success Advisors who speak both Arabic and English and provide guidance for students on how to choose best when it comes to education and employment, especially in emerging career paths such as aerospace engineering, technology, and public health.

Positive Response

The Program, which launched as part of this week’s activities at the Tawteen 360 Student Forum, received a positive response from Emirati youth who had the chance to understand it first-hand. During the first 72 hours, over 2,000 young Emiratis have registered with the Program. In addition, the Program’s Success Advisors have received more than 1,500 messages.  Alia Al Mansoori, aspiring astronaut and winner of the “Genes in Space” competition, said, “For me, as a Young Thinker, the Program really inspired me. It shows me that youth have the power to change the world.”

The Foundation’s Initiatives in the UAE and Arab world

The Abdulla Al Ghurair Foundation for Education is the largest private foundation focused on education in the UAE and the Arab region. In the UAE, the Foundation has forged a series of strategic partnerships to provide young Emiratis with the latest tools and information to support their career aspirations through skill-building, empowering them to contribute to their nation’s competitiveness.