‘Brightening the Future’
The United Arab Emirates Embassy in the Islamic Republic of Pakistan concluded ‘Brightening the Future’– a six-week professional and skill development program for Pakistani youth in a graceful ceremony held at the Embassy here in Islamabad. The UAE Ambassador H.E. Hamad Obaid Al-Zaabi presided over the ceremony attended by senior leadership from Pakistan’s corporate sector and graduates of the ‘Brightening the Future’ internship program. Mirroring UAE’s long term commitment to the wellbeing of brotherly country Pakistan, the initiative focused on preparing Pakistani youth for fulfilling professional careers ahead in their lives. The youth were selected from leading universities through a highly competitive selection process and placed at leading corporate organizations, PTCL, Ufone and Bank Alfalah to train, up-skill, and motivate them for personal and professional growth and pursuance of successful careers. The trainee youth received effective mentoring from senior executives and seasoned experts as well as gained first-hand experience by working alongside corporate teams of the respective organizations. PTCL, and Ufone organized several training sessions for the youth with their senior management to enhance their skills and arranged visits to PTCL Exchange, PTCL Data Center and Ufone Mobile Switching Center to apprise them regarding their operations and services. The companies also organized a range of social and team-building activities to promote learning and skill enhancement, Hiking up the picturesque Margalla Hills in Islamabad remained a stand out event for the youth which helped them forge lots of fond memories of their time together.
On the other hand, Bank Alfalah trained the youth on digital and financial literacy and exposed them to the inner workings of the banking and finance sector in the country.
Speaking at the closing event, the Ambassador H.E Hamad Obaid Al Zaabi said: “UAE cherishes its friendly economic and cultural relations with Pakistan. ‘Brightening the Future’ internship program reflects our commitment to a brighter future of Pakistan, which we are realizing by enabling the youth of this beautiful country. I am thankful to PTCL, Ufone, and Bank Alfalah for making this a reality.”Group Chief Human Resource Officer (GCHRO), PTCL Group, Syed Mazhar Hussain said: “We are grateful to His Excellency Hamad Obaid Ibrahim Al-Zaabi and his team for organizing this rewarding experience for the Pakistani youth. I believe, it was an exciting opportunity for the youth to test themselves against the professional requirements of the job market and work on boosting their personal and professional skills. I wish everyone good luck for their future endeavors.”Bank Alfalah’s Business Head Retail – North, Sarmed Ijaz Awan said: “Brightening the future’ is an excellent initiative to help pump fresh blood into Pakistan’s public and corporate sectors. We are thankful to the honourable Ambassador of UAE and his team for the opportunity to work with the promising young talent, which I hope will make a meaningful difference for this country.”