By Denise Marray/Gulf Times Correspondent/London
Eleven leading Qatari companies participated in the eighth annual Career Fair held in London over the weekend for Qatari students studying in the UK.
A total of 360 students attended the two-day event. There was a banquet on Friday with presentations from the companies and keynote addresses by HE the Minister of Youth and Sports Salah bin Ghanem bin Nasser al-Ali and Qatar’s ambassador to the UK, Yousef bin Ali al-Khater.
The following day was a hive of activity with students having the opportunity to visit the stands and meet the representatives of all the participating companies.
Sheikh Khalid bin Abdulla al-Thani, chief operating officer, Engineering & Ventures, Qatargas, told Gulf Times that the company was interested in those students who had a very clearly thought out ambition to work for the company.
“I am very pleased; this year, we are seeing very good students and we have made some signings and expect to reach our target,” he said.
Ali Ibrahim al-Sulaiti, head of Qatarisation & National Development at Qatargas, added: “Over the years, we have successfully sponsored many students and I am confident that many students this year will qualify to be sponsored by Qatargas.”
Dr Kholode al-Obaidli, vice-president, National Talent Management, Human Resources, Al Darb Qatarisation, Qatar Airways, said the company was keen to “bridge the gap” between the theoretical and academic knowledge of students and the practical demands of the corporate environment.
Students sponsored by the company undertake an eight-week internship at the Qatar Airways headquarters at the conclusion of their first year of study. They do a further internship at the conclusion of their second year in one of the 140 global offices. They then progress to the graduate development programme in preparation to enter the corporate sphere.
Dr al-Obaidli commented that she was impressed by the level of interest being shown by students in the aviation industry, which she described as dynamic, multicultural and international.
Qatar Airways is especially interested in recruiting from the disciplines of engineering, HR, finance, IT, law and graphic design. Out of the company’s 120 scholarship students, 50 are currently studying at UK universities.
Buthaina al-Ansari, director of Human Resources, Ooredoo, was very clear in what the company was looking for. “We are not looking for management skills. We need people who are specialists, for example in IT or telecommunications. Qatar deserves the best – we need skilled, capable people.”
Dr Eiman al-Ansari, director of National Development, Sidra Medical and Research Centre, said she would like to see more Qatari students opting for careers in the healthcare sector, particularly medicine and nursing.
“We have met some excellent students from the areas of biomedical, surgery and genetics. They will progress to a second interview with the medical team in Doha.”
Abdulrahman al-Mannai, Learning and Development manager, RasGas, said the company was looking for chemical, mechanical and electrical engineers. He was pleased with the calibre of students and said this was the first stage of the screening process for recruitment.
The company’s list of preferred universities is constantly updated to reflect the latest developments and performance feedback. The company, he explained, has very close ties with the universities, particularly those offering engineering.
He added, “Our presence here at the fair is not just about recruiting. It is also to introduce ourselves to the students who are interested to learn more about RasGas.”
Abdulhadi Bakhit Barqan, chief administration officer at Oryx GTL Limited, said the company had exceeded its target in terms of contracts signed at the fair. “We have signed students from the disciplines of chemical, mechanical and electrical engineering, business administration and economics, safety engineers and health and safety environment specialists,” he reported.
These students will join the company for summer internships to familiarise them with the working environment at Oryx and give them a clear focus for their studies.
Dermot McGhee, head of Learning and Development, Qatar Investment Authority, said the fair provided QIA with an opportunity to “benchmark” the skillsets of students studying in the UK with those studying in Qatar. He commented, “We have very strict standards and criteria; we are quite tough in who we select.”
The company is particularly interested in students with Majors in accounting, finance, economics, IT, law, mathematics and engineering.
Qatari students at the Career Fair in London.
