Alpha Program For Emirati Students Offers Early Private Sector Career Exploration And Skills Development

The Emirati Talent Competitiveness Council, working with the NAFIS Youth Council, has introduced the Alpha Program for Emirati middle school students. The initiative helps Generation Alpha understand private sector careers, gain early workplace exposure and build future skills that support long-term national economic priorities.

The Alpha Program targets high-achieving students in grades six to eight, aged between 12 and 14. It supports the Emirati Talent Competitiveness Council’s strategy by investing early in national human capital and increasing awareness of how private sector roles connect with future labour market needs.

Supervised by the Emirati Talent Competitiveness Council in collaboration with the NAFIS Youth Council, the Alpha Program runs in two linked phases. The structure combines classroom-based learning and real workplace simulations, aiming to connect academic progress with practical knowledge and to prepare students for economic shifts.

The first phase of the Alpha Program consists of interactive school workshops, delivered by NAFIS Youth Council members and external specialists. Sessions highlight personal development, leadership, problem-solving and career awareness. Mentoring discussions help students relate these topics to possible private sector roles and consider long-term study choices.

The second phase of the Alpha Program moves students into actual workplace settings through private sector partnerships. Job-simulation exercises aim to build confidence, strengthen future skills and allow students to test interests early, which may help reduce psychological barriers linked with private sector employment.

Strategic private sector companies supporting the Alpha Program include Al Futtaim Group, Chalhoub Group, Presight, PwC, AtkinsRéalis and Abdul Wahid Al Rostamani Group. Educational partners are GEMS Wellington Academy, Gulf, the American Academy for Girls and Al Mutanabi Charter School, aligning academic guidance with hands-on experience.

Majid bin Zawbaa, Chairman of the NAFIS Youth Council, said that building a sustainable economic future starts with early investment in students’ potential, and that the Alpha Program links academic ambition with workplace reality while helping students view private sector roles as accessible options.

With inputs from WAM