Khidmah launches internship program for Emirati students

The Khidmah internship program has been developed to provide a rounded introduction to working within an expanding company in Abu Dhabi's real estate industry; offering workplace training in property management, services management, finance and call centre management systems and other aspects of a working in a fast-paced business environment.

Designed to boost the skills and provide real-life work experience for final year UAE national students interested in pursuing private sector careers in services management and real estate, the program is part of Khidmah's drive to promote hands-on learning and build professional careers for young Emiratis. Interns who excel during their placements may be offered full time employment at Khidmah on graduation. The first two participants in the program from Zayed University began their internships on 6 September and are now working with Khidmah teams and mentors in finance and IT - their respective study disciplines - until the end of October.

Sutton Turner, CEO of Khidmah, says:

"At Khidmah, we believe that everything rises and falls with leadership. Being an Emirati owned and operated business we are focused on developing and training young national leaders. The internship program gives participants the opportunity to see what the service management business is like; evaluate Khidmah as a possible employer; and make a direct contribution to Khidmah through an intern project providing participants with hands on experience and confidence for their future."

"we are passionate about development of leaders. Each week for the past 16 months, we have given Khidmah staff and interns a one-hour leadership class. During these sessions we have open discussions where ideas and principles are shared between our staff. These classes add to the value of a practical, yet educational internship program.

"Over the next ten years, we aim to have former Khidmah interns in every major company and ministry in the UAE, taking the leadership lessons they learned at Khidmah and teaching them to the people they will lead in future."

Emirati students from UAE colleges interested in participating in the Khidmah internship program can apply for a place online. There are no restrictions on courses being studied, but would-be participants must have a keen interest in Abu Dhabi's services management and real estate industry. Only two or three students will be awarded internships at any one time to ensure that mentoring experiences at the company are maximized and that students gain as much benefit from their placements as possible. Extra course credit may be awarded by the university to students on completion of the internship.