The third edition of Al Ain Education & Career Fair opened on Monday attracting major organisations and educational institutions looking to meet country’s brightest graduates and school leavers.

Sheikh Nahyan Bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, and Sheikh Tahnoon Bin Mohammed Al Nahyan, the UAE Ruler’s Representative in the Eastern Region, jointly inaugurated the three-day event.

Supported by the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research, the Emirates National Development Programme, and the Abu Dhabi Businesswomen Council, the fair creates a key link for graduates, school leavers and other young Emirati jobseekers with leading UAE employers, a factor which has greater significance this year in view of the national unemployment figures.

Taking place in the new Al Khabisi Wedding Celebration Hall. the career fair will host thousands of graduates and school leavers who will visit in the hope of identifying career opportunities at a time when 23.1 per cent of young Emiratis between the ages of 18 and 23 are currently out of work, said event organisers.

The good news for many is that they will have face-to-face opportunities to impress leading UAE employers looking to recruit the brightest young local talent and fulfil emiratisation quotas, they said.

After cutting the ribbon, Sheikh Tahnoon and Sheikh Nahyan toured the new exhibition halls and met senior representatives of diamond sponsor Adnoc, as well as gold sponsors Etihad Airways, Etisalat and Du, each of whom have a number of positions available for UAE nationals as they fulfil their own emiratisation initiatives and look long-term to develop a sustainable local workforce.

Leading international and regional businesses are taking part to fill a number of current job vacancies. These include Abu Dhabi Airports Company, Abu Dhabi Health Authority, Adnoc, Al Ain Hospital, Al Futtaim Group, Emirates NBD, Ernst & Young, Oasis Hospital, Petrofac, Schlumberger and Total.

The career fair has also attracted major universities and training institutions including New York University of Abu Dhabi and the Al Ain International Aviation Academy, a division of the Institute of Applied Technology that provides Emirati students with professional training for jobs as aircraft engineers, technicians and other specialist roles.

More highlights for the thousands of young visitors at the fair include a focused assessment centre where students can assess their employability skills, along with a career advice area where qualified counsellors are available to guide students on their education and career path.

AIESEC, the world’s largest international student-run organisation that provides a platform for youth leadership development, is hosting the assessment centre which analyses personalities based on psychometric testing, identifying areas of strengths which can be suited to particular work environments. 

The Al Ain Education and Career Fair attracts more than 5,000 visitors, including students, parents, and jobseekers.

“Al Ain is home to 400,000 people, and has the largest UAE national population of all the emirates, providing the ideal platform for organisations and educational institutions to spotlight different career opportunities for UAE national job-seekers and students”, said Khurram Saeed, exhibition manager for the Al Ain Education and Career Fair.

The fair is free for the public an is open daily from 10am to 7pm. On Tuesday, the expo will be only open to ladies from 10am to 2pm.

The Al Ain Education and Career Fair was acquired by Informa Exhibitons in January and is now partnered with Najah Education, Training and Careers and Tawdheef.

Along with Mohesr, the Emirates National Development Programme and AIESEC, the career event is backed by Ershaad.ae – the online job portal dedicated for UAE nationals – as official emiratisation partner.-TradeArabia News Service