Qatar Airways inducts 52 summer interns

Qatar Airways’ Al Darb Qatarisation Programme recently inducted its newest class of 52 summer interns at a ceremony in Doha.  RIGHT: Nabeela Fakhri addresses attendees of the summer internship programme.

Qatar Airways’ Al Darb Qatarisation Programme recently inducted its newest class of 52 summer interns at a ceremony in Doha. Now in its third year, the Qatar Airways Summer Internship Programme gives national university students the opportunity to receive professional training and experience the aviation industry with one of the world’s fastest growing airlines.  The summer internship programme is part of Qatar Airways’ Al Darb Qatarisation Programme, a development initiative that aims to help young Qataris reach their full potential through the national airline. An Arabic term that means “the pathway”, Al Darb highlights the different paths that individuals can take with Qatar Airways. The programme provides students with real-life projects that add to their work experience and prepare them for a successful career with the airline.The summer internship programme is designed to help students acquire the skills necessary to thrive in the workplace. Prior to beginning their assignments, the students will receive four days’ training on business communications, etiquette and effective presentation skills in order to ensure that they are prepared to work in a professional environment. In addition, the 52 students will be paired with a performance coach to ensure that every individual makes the most of the internship experience.By the end of the summer, students will be able to develop skills that will enable them to collaborate and work well as team members, plan and manage resources successfully and exhibit personal responsibility by working on multiple assignments with different deadlines.  “The Al Darb Qatarisation Programme identifies ambitious young nationals and helps shape them into the leaders of tomorrow. We are fortunate to have 52 smart, motivated students participating in our summer internship programme this year,” said Nabeela Fakhri, senior vice-president of Human Resources Employee Services at Qatar Airways. This year’s interns will be placed in one of a variety of positions at the airline’s headquarters in Doha and several global offices. Locally, students will have the opportunity to work in the commercial division of Hamad International Airport or in one of several divisions within the airline, including the capital projects, commercial, finance, marketing, engineering and technical divisions. Thirteen of the selected interns will be on overseas assignments, working at Qatar Airways outstations in Thailand, Malaysia, Greece, Australia, the US, England, Belgium, Spain and France, while three of them will spend time in the US this summer learning industry best practices from Qatar Airways’ strategic partner, Thales. Participants in the summer internship programme are eligible to receive course credit from their university. At present, six local and international universities award course credit to students who complete an internship with the airline: Virginia Commonwealth University, Texas A&M, Carnegie Mellon, Qatar University, Stenden University, University of Colorado (US), and Leeds Beckett University (UK).