Al Ghurair University imparts high quality education

"Education remains a key focal point for the UAE Government. Keeping this in view, Al Ghurair University has been imparting high quality education, both in terms of its content and delivery mechanism, in accordance with the felt needs of the world of work. However, the University does not stop here; it travels beyond the terms of reference of a traditional University. And towards this, it has been conceptualizing and executing numerous innovative measures with a view to enriching and diversifying the employability profile of the students," said Professor Abdurahim Mohammed Al Ameen, President, Al Ghurair University, while inaugurating the Career Fair.

"The Al Ghurair University's Career Fair, which aims at the systematic channeling of the graduating students into different sectors of employment and entrepreneurship, is one of its initiatives towards empowering the students to contribute their mite to nation building activities," he added.

A large number of key players from the Government and the private sector, including Dept of Tourism and Commerce , Dept of Economic Development, Dubai Electricity and Water Authority, Mashreq Bank, Dubai Islamic bank, ETA ASCON Ltd, DNATA, ICAEW Middle East, Unipropitia, Hirerightt Consultants, Innovations Group, Executive Solutions, , Bab Al Shabab, etc. participated in the Career Fair.

The students and the alumni of the AGU, whose response to the Career Fair was overwhelming, were provided with multiple services, which included creating wider awareness about the mind-boggling changes in the Gulf and Global employment and entrepreneurship scenarios, scrutinizing the CVs, and also conducting the preliminary interviews to shortlist the candidates for subsequent extensive assessment.

Career Development Initiatives:
"It is a matter of great pride that the rate of employability of our students is staggeringly high; about 95 percent of them secure employment either in the AGU Career Fairs or in the very first year of graduating. It is mainly on account of their live interface with the industry, multiple spells of internships, industry visits, rich interaction with the practicing executives, ongoing career development programs, etc.," said Ms. Vidya Nandagopal, Head-Department of Career & Placement Services, AGU.

Explaining the focus of the AGU Career Fair, she added, "Unlike the traditional Career Fairs, which focus mainly on providing jobs to students, the AGU Career Fair had a broader mandate; it provided a comprehensive set of escort services to students under one roof, which included, in addition to campus placements, psychometric assessment, advice clinics, and career option counseling. This was greatly instrumental in ensuring that right person gets the right job, the bottom line of a successful recruitment campaign."

Private Sector-A Rich Source of Career Avenues:
"While government jobs have always captured the fascination of the UAE nationals, the newer and exciting career opportunities that have been cropping up in different domains of the private sector in general and multinational companies in particular should not be lost sight of," said Mr. Fadil Hassan, AGM, HR Emiratization, ETA ASCON Star Group.

He called upon the Emirati students to take a lion's share of these career opportunities and added that their unique experience and insight into the culture and heritage of the UAE would add great value to the contribution of the private sector to the economy of the UAE.

"Al Ghurair University, which has been promoted by the Al Ghurair Group, has got an in-built competitive advantage, in networking with the corporate world and in providing numerous career opportunities to its students. The Al Ghurair Group and the ETA ASCON Star Group will fully support the Al Ghurair University in its multi dimensional interface with industry," he added.

Continuing the same thread, Mr. Mohammed Al Khaja, Commercial Manager, DNATA stated, "The United Arab Emirates hosts numerous multinational companies and, hence, there is a in order to stake their claim for the ever increasing career opportunities in the domain of international business and to succeed as global executives."

"The multinational companies in such sectors as the Retail Banking, Media, Food, Tourism, and Precious Metals promise a phenomenal growth of about 10% in the next decade; hence, it is vital that the job aspirants try to break into these sunrise sectors of employment," said Ms. Julie Stewart, Recruitment Consultant, Executive Solutions.

"The fact that the multinational companies are growing is only half the story; because while the demand is strong, the supply of talent is especially weak and the sector is currently experiencing talent shortage," she added.

Become a Job Provider Rather Than a Job Seeker:
"Entrepreneurs innovate and their actions trigger a far-reaching ripple effect that can enhance a country's capital formation, employment rate, and development. And in order to spur entrepreneurship among the region's youth, the Government, banks, financial institutions, etc. have been joining forces in order to enrich the region's entrepreneurial ecosystem, inspire the youth to look at entrepreneurship as a viable career avenue, and fully empower them to aim high and achieve their true potential as entrepreneurs," said Mr Rammohan, Director, Unipropitia.

He advised the students to get over their tunnel vision of career options, change their mindset of treating jobs as their one-point agenda, venture into the fascinating field of entrepreneurship, and transform themselves into job providers instead of remaining merely as job seekers.

"The career opportunities provided by the private sector, especially multinational companies, are of direct relevance to students pursuing professional studies in general and management and engineering studies in particular. These career openings bring in their wake the promise of cross cultural exposure and faster career progression. Visiting different stands of the exhibitors at the Career Fair was greatly helpful in evaluating the job offers received from the organizations representing public and private sector in their true and total frame of reference," opined many a student at the Career Fair.