Abu Dhabi: The Abu Dhabi University (ADU) on Saturday announced that it was planning to launch a major comprehensive career development programme for its students to help them find employment after they graduate.
The programme will run a number of interactive training sessions and specialised workshops for the students.
“Our new career development plans brings us one step closer to achieving greater employability for our graduates, with a variety of workshops on career planning and direction, employment readiness, job search, interview skills and leadership capabilities,” said Hanadi Khalil, senior career development manager at ADU.
“Through a detailed analysis of job market needs, in addition to annual studies and specialised surveys, we can also further our efforts in identifying promising sectors based on local and global growth indicators and a forecast of future trends,” she added.
“This move will enable us to guide our students from the moment they start their higher education journey towards programmes that produce cadres of qualified professionals in high-demand specialisations which meet the needs of the policy agenda of the Government of Abu Dhabi and its Economic Vision 2030,” she said.
Hanadi also spoke on how the university saw an increase in the number of students taking part in internships over the last few years, as students looked to gain practical knowledge and expertise for the job market.
“Studies have also revealed that 55 per cent of students participate in summer internships to acquire much-needed experience for their future careers,” she said.
“The past five years witnessed an average 23 per cent annual increase in the numbers of students taking internships, which reflects the expansion of the university’s internship partner network across diverse economic sectors.
Hanadi pointed to the highly successful rate of employment among ADU graduates, highlighting the success of their educational programmes.
“All these initiatives have successfully led to 90 per cent of ADU’s graduates finding jobs within a year after their graduation, in various sectors like business administration, engineering, law, arts and sciences,” she said.
