Chalhoub Group, luxury retail operator, celebrated International Youth Day on August 12 by continuing to partner with educational bodies to provide mentorships and workshops to youth in the region.
The partnerships mark the group’s efforts to support nationalisation and boost youth employability.
The Chalhoub Group is implementing the UAE government’s YES2WORK initiative, which aims to boost employability among students aged 15 to 21.
The initiative comes after the country’s labour laws were updated to allow students to work in part-time positions.
Through the initiative, the Chalhoub Group offers students the opportunity to gain experiences and skills working in the luxury retail sector.
The group has also partnered with GEMS Academy in Dubai to give high school students various internships.
Also running is the second edition of the Chalhoub Group’s National Graduate Programme, which seeks to hire and train those pursuing careers in luxury retail across the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait.
Finance graduates interested in the luxury retail sector can also enrol in the programme.
“Youth are the future; they inspire us to always evolve, disrupt ourselves and strengthen our value of entrepreneurial spirit,” said Wassim Eid, president of the Chalhoub Group’s people and culture division.
“We are committed to creating opportunities for youth employability and employment through concerted collective efforts and partnerships.”
Since 2014, the Chalhoub Group has provided students over 110 scholarships to higher education centres, marking its efforts to develop the careers of young people in the region.
Seventy per cent of the Chalhoub Group’s workforce are Gen Z and millennial individuals aged 16 to 40, said the company.
“Over the past two years, 1,710 youth under 30 joined our group to build their careers with us,” Mr Wassim added.
“As 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.”
