Saudia Dairy and Foodstuff Company (Sadafco) has completed its third edition of ‘Saifi’ Internship Program (SIP), as part of its efforts to support the Saudi Arabian government’s vision.

The programme offered high school and university students the opportunity to gain experience and exposure to different practices at the company’s premises across the kingdom, said a statement from the company.

Launched jointly by the Ministry of Labour and Social Development (MOLSD) and the Human Resources Development Fund (HRDF), the programme is aimed at training and developing practical skills among the kingdom’s youth, it said.

The four-week internship programme ran from July 8 until August 5, with the participation of 68 male and female students, it added.

The trainees were allocated to different departments according to their areas of specialisation. While some were assigned to factories, others were engaged in stores, workshops, administration and finance activities.

Wout Matthijs, Chief Executive Officer, Sadafco, said: “Our company has constantly supported the kingdom’s long-term vision of empowering young talents and implementing Saudization.”

“There is a mismatch of talent and job market demand, and we are delighted to be given the chance to play an active role in bridging that gap by offering students training programmes at our offices,” he said.

Through the one-month programme, interns were able to enhance their skills in team work, time-management and work on their personal development. Through the daily assignments, the trainees were given room to claim responsibility over tasks which in turn taught them optimum decision making procedures.

To ensure that interns received a constructive experience, Sadafco collected managers and trainees’ feedback through the ‘training process survey’ available on SAIFI’s website.

Upon completion of the programme, trainees were invited to meet the Human Resources Manager and Public relations and Government, Talal Al Nounou, and receive their certificates, it stated. – TradeArabia News Service