Emirates National Oil Company today launched the “ENOC Challenge” a programme to open up access to training and work for youngsters – paving the way for a new type of corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiative in the UAE.
The Dubai-based petroleum group has identified an employment ‘black hole’ into which needy youngsters can fall. The ENOC Challenge, its flagship project and first cause-related marketing campaign, offers a select group of these youngsters a way out.
At the same time, the corporate/charity joint venture model it has created to tackle the problem could steer the CSR activities of the country’s booming business sector in a new direction.
ENOC has linked up with Red Crescent, the principal UAE charitable organisation, for the Challenge. Through Red Crescent, ENOC has identified a list of candidates and selected 10 young UAE Nationals to take up the challenge of going through a specially tailored training and development programme.
Launching the ENOC Challenge at the company’s headquarters, Hussain Sultan, ENOC Group’s Chief Executive and Board Member told a gathering of VIPs: “We have a wider role; to make a positive difference to the lives of all our people and every section of the community.
“Every day of our life is a challenge, and we should face such challenges enthusiastically, freely and with determination. That is what the ENOC challenge is about. It is a challenge we hope will be taken up by every corporation operating in the UAE not only for the duration of this initiative but well into the future.”
The programme, which runs from June 12 - July 31, 2005 provides three weeks of training and four weeks work experience. It is supported by Dubai Creativity Center who will provide professional trainers for four days, ENOC’s Learning and Development Department and ENOC’s IT department.
Speaking at the launch of the ENOC Challenge, Mr. Mohammed Al Zaroni, Manager of Red Crescent, Dubai Branch, said “It’s encouraging to see companies such as ENOC investing in its people with community service campaigns like the ENOC Challenge. The young students for whom this programme is devised represent our country’s future. I sincerely hope they grasp this opportunity and use the training they receive to become the leaders of tomorrow.”
Mr. Ahmed Abdul Aziz, Financial and Management Affairs manager, Dubai Creativity Centre, who was also present at the launch of the ENOC Challenge, said: “Dubai is leading the pro-social efforts in the Middle East. Initiatives like the ENOC Challenge put UAE on the international map. The Creativity Centre is supporting this important program by providing the best expertise in the UAE to raring the candidates and possibly creating future leaders amongst those youngsters.”
“Dubai Creativity Centre is especially proud to be ENOC’s partner on this pace-setting project. Our group of trained professionals will ensure that over the next week these 10 students are trained and their skills honed so they can realize their true potential.”
“If every company in the UAE followed this example we would have made considerable progress in tackling a genuine problem of finding employment for those people who might be hindered from making the most and best use of their talents,” said Mr. Sultan.
After the completion of training, each one of the young trainee will have a job in ENOC for a period of one month. And at the end of the program, the candidates will attend a graduation ceremony and will be awarded certificates of training and experience that will assist them in building their CV’s in addition to a salary and a special financial award to the best achiever during the program.
“Above all, we are determined to offer practical assistance to this group, drawing on ENOC’s resources to help them realise their potential by preparing them for the world of work” added Sultan.
ABOUT ENOC:
Established in 1993 as a wholly-owned company of the Government of Dubai, ENOC aims to promote the interests of its shareholders through the development of further downstream and upstream activities in the oil and gas sector and beyond and to encourage the economic diversification of Dubai and the rest of the UAE.
Leadership and guidance of ENOC are provided by its Chairman, H.H. Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai and UAE Minister of Finance and Industry.
ENOC actively participates in an increasingly broad range of business ventures. Its joint ventures with major international companies allow partners to pool their technology, know-how and expertise along with their resources to further their commercial success.
Since its inception, ENOC has been guided by its philosophy of quality and professional management based on modern business concepts for commercial success and sustainable growth. Today it is poised to engineer a new and challenging period of growth and diversity.
