Chalhoub Group targets youth employability through training and mentorship programmes

To mark International Youth Day, Chalhoub Group is strengthening its nationalisation efforts and focusing on programmes that target youth employability. Through partnerships with academia and educational programmes, traineeships and internships, the Group is fully invested in giving tangible support to the region’s millennial and Gen Z population which now accounts for 78% of its workforce (16-40 years).

“Youth are the future, they inspire us to always evolve, disrupt ourselves and strengthen our value of entrepreneurial spirit. Over the past two years, 1710 youth under 30 joined our Group to build their careers with us. We are committed to creating opportunities for youth employability and employment through concerted collective efforts and partnerships. Recently, we signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Dar Al-Hekma University to support and nurture local young talents in Saudi Arabia and we partnered with GEMS Academy in Dubai to offer high school students internship opportunities,” said Wassim Eid, President People and Culture at Chalhoub Group.

Key initiatives include partnerships with many regional and international academic and governmental institutions to host lectures and workshops that provide training and mentorship opportunities for students looking to join the retail sector. In support of the wealth of initiatives developed by UAE federal and local government to support youth employability, the Group is involved in the delivery of the YES2WORK initiative for students aged 15-21 to gain experience and enhance their industry skills, and has embraced the new UAE labour law giving older teenagers (16+) the opportunity to take on part-time jobs

Educational programmes for graduates, trainees and interns are also a big focus for Chalhoub Group. Since 2014, the Group has provided over 110 scholarships to help students access higher learning, giving them the opportunity to further their education and improve their careers. The Group also operates a National Graduate Programme, now entering its second year, which is designed to attract, nurture, and develop talent with a passion for luxury retail across the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait, as well as an additional programme for finance graduates looking to embark on careers in this sector.

“As a company of and from the region, we believe it is our responsibility to contribute to the advancement of our societies and economies, and what better way to do this than investing in our youth,” he concluded.