73 NIVE students complete summer internship in diverse economic sectors

73 students spent five fruitful weeks at DEWA, RTA, DUBAL, Dubai Municipality and NIVE itself, adding experience to their qualifications and exposing them to the real work world.

Dr. Naji Al Mahdi, Executive Director for NIVE said, "Work placement learning or internships is a very important aspect of vocational education at NIVE. Through these internships, we try to make our students experience the real work place environment and let them apply their skills and knowledge learnt. Gaining practical experience is important to refine these skills."

"Work placement learning at the sponsoring companies helps strengthen ties between NIVE and the firms, understand their requirements and adjust NIVE programs accordingly. The participating firms got a chance to evaluate the students' skills and performance and expressed that the level of preparation of the students was satisfactory. It also gave the students a chance to offer their best. We expect this program to grow and include more companies which would take in a larger number of students in the coming years." he added

The process begins with a list of all students going to the potential sponsors of the internship. Students undergo an assessment with the high scorers moving to the interview stage. Then based on the requirements (of the course) and preferences (of the students), students are placed in jobs for five weeks. The mix and match of the work place and the students depends on the line of study and requirement of the sponsor.

A female student who preferred to remain anonymous said, "My internship was at DEWA and it was a positive experience. At first, I was nervous of entering the job market and mingling with co-workers. I also faced some difficulties, as I live in Ajman. However, the end result was amazing. This transitional phase improved my self-esteem and added to my ambitions."

Rashid Mohammad Hasan said, "I am 19 years old and I live in Abu Dhabi. I got my internship opportunity at Dubai Municipality. I have learned a lot about different work skills during this month. I'm one of the few students who had the opportunity of working while studying, and this provided an additional incentive to go further on with my studies and get a higher degree. This experience has been highly beneficial for me, and I'm proud of working, studying, and achieving my goals."

Another female commented, "I trained at the Human Resource department of RTA. On-job training is the best method to succeed and excel at this stage. I have always been a top student, but I think that the hands-on experience that I gained is the best method for applying the theory that I studied. It is also the shortest way to success."

NIVE, an initiative of KHDA has the mission to provide world class vocational education, benchmarked according to professional standards of industries to support the ongoing growth of the UAE and the region. NIVE is located in Academic City, an educational and academic surrounding that aids the exceptional learning for its students.