Expo 2020 Dubai’s successful apprenticeship programme is being integrated with a corresponding scheme at Jebel Ali Free Zone, Jafza, to give young Emiratis a greater chance of taking a positive first step on the career ladder.

The Memorandum of Understanding, MoU, will absorb the tried and tested structure and content of Expo 2020 Dubai’s programme into the existing ‘Tumoohi’ (‘My Ambition’ in Arabic) scheme that is run by Jafza, the UAE’s flagship trade and logistics hub.

The aim is to provide an enhanced programme of greater apprenticeship options, which can boost the careers of increasing numbers of UAE graduates, by combining the knowledge and expertise from their on-the-job training at the companies they join.

Reem bint Ibrahim Al Hashemi, Minister of State for International Co-operation and Director-General, Dubai Expo 2020 Bureau, said, "Expo 2020 Dubai is about collaborative thinking, ‘Connecting Minds, Creating the Future’, and we can help to achieve this by working with the key stakeholders who share our ambition, and by empowering our youth with the skills that will help them shape a wonderful future for themselves."

"This will benefit not only the young people involved but also our country, as we move to an increasingly diversified, knowledge-based economy, here in the UAE. The youth are our future, and we need to equip them with world-class skills," she added.

Based on international best practice, the Expo 2020 Apprenticeship programme have included a series of intensive and varied learning modules, as well as on-the-job experience from Expo 2020 Dubai departments.

Apprentices have also benefited from expert mentorship and leadership coaching from members of the Expo 2020 Dubai team.

Jafza’s ‘Tumoohi’ scheme follows a similar model, by offering Emirati graduates in-house training and job placements within the free zone’s vast network of companies.

A signing ceremony of the MoU between Expo 2020 Dubai and Jafza was attended by Al Hashemi and Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem, Chairman and CEO of DP World Group, the parent company of Jafza and one of Expo 2020 Dubai’s premier partners.

"This is a significant step towards realising the Tumoohi scheme. We want to create a large talent pool of young nationals with the right technical skills and experience, to meet the diverse needs of the UAE across the private and public sectors," Sultan Bin Sulayem said.

"So, I am delighted that the collaboration with our colleagues at Expo 2020 Dubai offers our trainees there a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to work on a global project of such diversity and scale," he added,