DWC 'Employers' Day 2009' scores enormous response

Dr. Aisha Bilkhair, Supervisor of Career Center at DWC, stated that about 60 companies participated in the Employers' Day on June 2nd. Employers had the opportunity to conduct individual on-the-spot interviews with students whose CVs captured their attention.

"If you consider the tough economic times the whole world is going through, this is an excellent turn-out," said Dr. Aisha Bilkhair.

Organized by the Career Center at Dubai Women's College, the annual DWC Employers' Day has been taking place for the third consecutive year. In 2008 Employers' Day was instrumental in providing for more than 300 students employment positions in Dubai.

"Understanding the current market trends, DWC prepares all graduating students to explore employment opportunities which will enhance their skills and career prospects. For instance, many jobs in diverse sectors and professions are offered to encourage fresh Emirati women to penetrate non-traditional markets. We are confident of their abilities to make steady yet commendable steps towards excellence," Dr. Aisha pointed out.

The event was inaugurated at 10am in the presence of DWC Director Dr. Howard Reed and Associate Director Dr. Behjat Al Yousef among others. Dr. Reed thanked all employers for participating and encouraged them to use this difficult economic period to consider hiring more graduates from the HCT Colleges.

"In an economic meltdown, all assets suffer except human resources, particularly a human capital that is highly trained, such as our DWC students. So it's our pleasure to provide employers with the best resource," said Dr. Reed.

Both private and public sectors were heavily represented among the participating companies including Dubai Duty Free, Ministry of Labour, RTA, Du, Mashreq bank, HSBC, Tecom, Dubai Media Incorporated, Dafza, Ducab, Dubai Municipality, Emirates Healthcare Limited and Barclays among others.

While students had some concerns about the impact of the economic crisis on the job market, they were busy distributing their CVs, and eager to remain hopeful. Afra Matter Khamis, an Applied Communications' student, had already distributed five CVs in the first hour of the event.

She was planning to drop off at least another 15. "This annual event offers us a great opportunity to find a job in a reputable company at this critical time," she said.

Likewise, recruiters seemed impressed with student enthusiasm and were hopeful that they would fill the job vacancies in their companies. This year, Dr. Bilkhair also chose to encourage students to apply for internships and temporary jobs in addition to full-time.

"Internships and temporary jobs are a win-win for both students and employers," said Dr.Bilkhair. "If students prove themselves, internships and temporary jobs could lead them to a full-time position for that company," she concluded.