DCC unveils the Civil Engineering Internship Programme

"With the current boom and promising future for contractors in the UAE, we feel this is the right time to contribute not only to furthering the education of young civil engineers, but to developing a program that fosters cultural understanding" said Abdallah Yabroudi, CEO of DCC.

"We hope that this program will inspire our industry to commit to helping the bright young minds that will lead the construction sector in the future."

Preparing for the first internship session in the summer of 2008, DCC has been working with the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering (CIE) at Syracuse University in the USA to develop the program and study materials students will be following. Six of the university's own Junior and Senior civil engineering students will be participating in the six week internship at DCC. Senior company officials have confirmed that DCC will be contacting local UAE universities in order to select six local students to join the internship program as well.

The six week long training programme, to be held in the summer of 2008, has been jointly developed by DCC and CIE, and features two main study environments. Students will have regular study sessions at DCC's head offices where they will participate in learning sessions with the company's senior management. They will also take part in regular site visits where they will be taught about actual site work from senior DCC engineers.

"Giving young students the opportunity to see how the principles they review in the class room apply in a real world setting is extremely valuable. Many young civil engineers today graduate with limited exposure to the world of contracting, and this sort of training can help prepare them for what is out there. Furthermore, by bringing together students from North America and the Middle East for 6 weeks of working together, we will without a doubt help foster a culture of understanding and team work, which is essential for future generations."

Commenting on the longer term plans for the program, Mr. Yabroudi added "we strongly hope that this initiative can serve as a catalyst for the rest of the contractors in the UAE. We are aiming to take in 12 students ourselves in 2008. We hope that a few leading contractors will join the initiative in 2009, followed by more in the coming years. It will truly be an invaluable experience for young minds, and given the crunch we are facing in human resources today, we believe the benefits will be great for both students and contractors over the long run. We have been extremely fortunate in the business environment we are working in, and in accordance with His Highness UAE Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum's vision of educating the coming generations, its time we give back to make sure they can build on our successes."

The first set of students is expected to take part in the program in the summer of 2008.