Alshaya announces 1000 summer internships for Kuwait's youth

The announcement of the "Jumpstart your Potential" programme comes at a time when the region's expanding retail sector is being looked upon as a major provider of jobs in the years to come.

Applications for the new programme at one of Kuwait's leading companies will be accepted until the 15th June from young Kuwaitis from Grade 10, to University Undergraduate third year, for 6 weeks starting from the 1st July 2008.

Open to both men and women, each person will receive hands-on experience in commerce, business and entrepreneurship. Applications are available by sending a cover letter, with resume/Curriculum Vitae, to the following e-mail address: s.training@alshaya.com.

At the press conference Mr. Mohammed Abdulaziz Alshaya, Executive Chairman of M.H. Alshaya Co., said: "We are confident this programme will give a large group of ambitious young Kuwaitis the chance to develop skills and obtain important experience of working in the private sector. There is no doubt, this will help give them life-skills and prepare them to be future leaders in whatever they choose to do. I hope that this will support the trend we have witnessed in Alshaya where increasingly Kuwaitis are being developed to take on key positions of responsibility."

He also noted: "One of the biggest challenges facing Kuwait is the need to create hundreds of thousands of jobs in the coming years. We believe that there should be a movement here in Kuwait to encourage youth to participate in and experience the private sector during the summer months. In other societies these kinds of programmes which help students to gain knowledge and expertise beneficial to their development are readily available. We have been conducting internships like this for a number of years, but not on the sort of scale of this project. Within Alshaya we are involved in a diversity of retail sectors from pharmacy, cafes and beverages, through to fashion and footwear and casual dining. Logistics and IT are also fundamental building blocks of our business. Introducing our youth through field experience to such a wide range of disciplines will add tools and processes that will help in their future careers."

Mr Alshaya also called for the public and private sectors to work closer in addressing this need for regional employment: "For too long, our youth has focused on getting a job in the public sector, which is seen as an easier option. With our increasing numbers of youth and a limited supply of jobs in the public sector, the emphasis now needs to shift to private enterprise."

He also stressed the importance of private sector initiatives emphasizing the importance of enterprise: "Being entrepreneurial means taking risks and being constantly on the lookout for new opportunities. This is a specific quality that needs to be rediscovered in the Arab world, and is the key to creating new jobs. Having the right talent in your organisation is also critical; as a result our education systems need to rise to the challenge of preparing young people and this is why we believe it is important to launch the "Jumpstart your Potential" initiative for 1,000 of our young people."