The UAE's Federal Youth Authority has announced the launch of a national programme aimed at giving Emirati high school graduates the skills needed to support the country's development.
The first phase of the Ghatareef initiative, which is to be rolled out in September, aims to help them to prepare for the job market. Placements are guaranteed in public and private sector workplaces as part of an 11-month course.
Young participants will receive a monthly allowance, accredited professional certificates and academic credit hours, as well as support on future career paths for top performers.
Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Foreign Affairs and chairman of the Education, Human Development and Community Development Council, said the nation's youth were its "greatest asset".
"The UAE's journey has always been guided by the firm conviction that people are the foundation of our nation's progress, and that each generation has a responsibility to build on the achievements of those who came before it," Sheikh Abdullah said, in remarks carried by state news agency Wam.
"Our youth are the nation's greatest asset. Through them, we safeguard our accomplishments and advance towards ever greater horizons of global leadership."
He said the programme was designed to help young people to "serve the nation, shape its future, build strong and stable families, and play an active role in a resilient and sustainable community."
Registration for the programme is voluntary but Dr Sultan Al Neyadi, Minister of State for Youth Affairs, said it was hoped that young people would view the initiative as an opportunity to prepare them for the next phase of their lives.
"Our goal is to build a generation that possesses knowledge, skills, values and preparedness, a generation capable of serving its nation and contributing to enhancing its competitiveness," he said during a launch event for the strategy, held in Dubai on Thursday.
Generous, brave and noble
The programme’s name was inspired by a poem by UAE Founding Father, the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan. The Arabic word "ghatareef" is traditionally used to describe generous, brave and noble young leaders.
"It stems from a visionary perspective of a Founding Father who built a nation with ambitious aspirations for the future,” said Dr Sultan Al Neyadi. “Furthermore, it carries a profound meaning in Arab and Emirati culture, describing a young man who embodies intelligence, sound judgment, culture, knowledge and mastery – qualities we aspire to see embodied in every young person participating in this programme, God willing.
"We must not only have the ability to respond to challenges or even react to the changes we mentioned – economic, geopolitical and other challenges – no, we must have a proactive vision.”
The course has three tracks aimed at helping young people protect the future of the nation: sustainability and essential services, health and primary care, and defence and protection. Its objectives are focused on preparation for the future, community engagement and national service, and quality of life and well-being. It will be more practical than theoretical, with those who participate placed in one of the three critical sectors.
"The first phase of the programme will target young people from the UAE, and we plan to explore adding other categories, including youths from various age groups,” Maryam Alhashemi, director of strategy and future management at the authority, told The National. “This will be implemented in subsequent phases over the coming years."
Perfect moment
Khalid Al Nuaimi, director of the authority, told The National that there was no time like the present for such an initiative.
"What time is better than now? We're seeing that the world is changing very fast. Technology is changing very fast,” he said. "Skills that you gain today might not be relevant tomorrow. So for us to have an agile programme, for us to really have an understanding of what the future needs, is the way of the United Arab Emirates."
Mr Al Nuaimi said the programme would not replace a university degree, but hours accrued during the initiative would be counted towards university credits. "They're going to have a seamless continuation into higher education," he said. "They'll be able to select their majors and university in a much better and more prominent way."
