DUBAI // Two high-school pupils have launched a free online service to help teenagers in a number of Dubai schools find internships.
Zohayr Khan, 17, and Satvik Garg, 16, who are both at American School of Dubai, said Dubai Minds aims to provide youngsters with an opportunity to experience real situations and jobs, and that they are partnering with companies in the emirate.
“Some schools already have job shadow programmes, in which a student shadows a professional, but many students have difficulty finding the jobs and end up interning at their fathers’ offices, which is not the real experience,” said Zohayr. “I think our service can work in coordination with the job shadow programmes.
“We do want the job shadow window to remain open, and the internships we want to help provide students with range from one day to two months in summer.”
Dubai Minds is in talks with a number of organisations and schools to set up the internships. Travel agent 24 Degrees is already a confirmed partner, as well as social media company The Online Project and sports company Duplays.
“I usually go to the US and take part in summer programmes there as there are not enough opportunities here, so we’re trying to fill that gap,” said Satvik.
He said the service would involve sifting through the CVs uploaded to their website and provide the companies with possible candidates.
He added that even one-day programmes could be beneficial to youngsters by exposing them to an office culture.
Julia Ulrich, of 24 Degrees, which specialises in tailored experiences in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Oman, said the company was looking forward to being part of the scheme.
“We are always on the look-out for new, young, dynamic staff, especially in our industry, and prefer having people onboard who were given the chance to work part-time already,” she said.
“We also understand that we cannot only expect students to have work experience. Therefore, in return, we would like to help the talented people gain work experience.”
She said that 24 Degrees, which has 20 staff and a pool of freelancers and local guides, has hired interns in the past and the company had a good experience with them.
“Not only were we given the chance to showcase our passion but we also got an inside view of what interns could do differently. We are in our jobs for years and to have some interns from time to time onboard is refreshing, and also keeps us on our toes,” said Ms Ulrich.
“Of course it is a two-way street. We get the chance to showcase our industry and introduce them to the world of travel, hospitality and events. In return, we also get a helping hand for creating itineraries, research assistance and fresh minds for concepts.”
Ms Ulrich said that 24 Degrees has programmes that range from a two-week internship to six months. The company hires a maximum of two interns during the summer to ensure the youngsters get the most out of their internships.
“Depending on the student’s interest, we cover all areas in our company [HR, Finance, Leisure, Operations]. Every intern programme is tailor-made to the candidate,” she said.
“Jobs can vary – creating proposals, venue research, creating concepts along with senior staff members, site visits of certain venues [or] hotels and some financial tasks.”
Ahmed Nimer, 16, said Dubai Minds was a service he would consider enrolling in due to the convenience of it.
“I was planning on taking an internship in the US but, because of this service, I would have more of a chance of finding something here,” he said.
“I’d rather stay here for a number of reasons, including that this summer will be Ramadan and the US is very far from here.
“Although getting an internship is not a requirement to graduate from high school, it’s important to gain some real-life experience before entering college – it’s not a matter of making money.”
For more information visit the Dubai Minds website.
dmoukhallati@thenational.ae
Company%C2%A0profile
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EName%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EPyppl%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEstablished%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2017%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EAntti%20Arponen%20and%20Phil%20Reynolds%26nbsp%3B%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20UAE%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ESector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20financial%20services%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20%2418.5%20million%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEmployees%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20150%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunding%20stage%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20series%20A%2C%20closed%20in%202021%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20venture%20capital%20companies%2C%20international%20funds%2C%20family%20offices%2C%20high-net-worth%20individuals%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The%C2%A0specs%20
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dual%20synchronous%20electric%20motors%20%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E646hp%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E830Nm%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ETwo-speed%20auto%20(rear%20axle)%3B%20single-speed%20auto%20(front)%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFrom%20Dh552%2C311%3B%20Dh660%2C408%20(as%20tested)%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3Enow%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
How green is the expo nursery?
Some 400,000 shrubs and 13,000 trees in the on-site nursery
An additional 450,000 shrubs and 4,000 trees to be delivered in the months leading up to the expo
Ghaf, date palm, acacia arabica, acacia tortilis, vitex or sage, techoma and the salvadora are just some heat tolerant native plants in the nursery
Approximately 340 species of shrubs and trees selected for diverse landscape
The nursery team works exclusively with organic fertilisers and pesticides
All shrubs and trees supplied by Dubai Municipality
Most sourced from farms, nurseries across the country
Plants and trees are re-potted when they arrive at nursery to give them room to grow
Some mature trees are in open areas or planted within the expo site
Green waste is recycled as compost
Treated sewage effluent supplied by Dubai Municipality is used to meet the majority of the nursery’s irrigation needs
Construction workforce peaked at 40,000 workers
About 65,000 people have signed up to volunteer
Main themes of expo is ‘Connecting Minds, Creating the Future’ and three subthemes of opportunity, mobility and sustainability.
Expo 2020 Dubai to open in October 2020 and run for six months
The biog
Favourite colour: Brown
Favourite Movie: Resident Evil
Hobbies: Painting, Cooking, Imitating Voices
Favourite food: Pizza
Trivia: Was the voice of three characters in the Emirati animation, Shaabiyat Al Cartoon
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Dr Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request
Company Profile
Company name: Yeepeey
Started: Soft launch in November, 2020
Founders: Sagar Chandiramani, Jatin Sharma and Monish Chandiramani
Based: Dubai
Industry: E-grocery
Initial investment: $150,000
Future plan: Raise $1.5m and enter Saudi Arabia next year
Formula Middle East Calendar (Formula Regional and Formula 4)
Round 1: January 17-19, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 2: January 22-23, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 3: February 7-9, Dubai Autodrome – Dubai
Round 4: February 14-16, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 5: February 25-27, Jeddah Corniche Circuit – Saudi Arabia
Tips for job-seekers
- Do not submit your application through the Easy Apply button on LinkedIn. Employers receive between 600 and 800 replies for each job advert on the platform. If you are the right fit for a job, connect to a relevant person in the company on LinkedIn and send them a direct message.
- Make sure you are an exact fit for the job advertised. If you are an HR manager with five years’ experience in retail and the job requires a similar candidate with five years’ experience in consumer, you should apply. But if you have no experience in HR, do not apply for the job.
David Mackenzie, founder of recruitment agency Mackenzie Jones Middle East
THE SPECS
Engine: 6.75-litre twin-turbocharged V12 petrol engine
Power: 420kW
Torque: 780Nm
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Price: From Dh1,350,000
On sale: Available for preorder now