Around 20 trainees will be accepted annually, and after completing the programme, trainees will receive a certificate and financial reward.
Emirates News Agency (WAM), in cooperation with a group of UAE local universities, has launched its media training programme, “Kafa’a”, which aims to develop the capabilities of young Emirati nationals and qualify them to work in various fields of the media industry, reported WAM.
The launch was announced during an event which WAM organised at its headquarters in Abu Dhabi, in the presence of Mohammed Jalal Al Rayssi, Director-General of WAM. Also attending were representatives from the United Arab Emirates University (UAEU), the University of Sharjah, and Zayed University, and a number of programme candidates.
The four-month Kafa’a programme attracts Emirati university graduates, and offers participants professional workshops and field training, to help refine their skills and abilities in the different fields of media in both Arabic and English. These include news writing and reporting, photography, videography, news editing, press reports, production, content creation, digital media, and social media platforms, in addition to photo and video editing and television broadcasting.
The programme will take in about 20 trainees annually, and upon completing the programme, trainees will receive a training certificate, in addition to a financial reward.
Commenting on the launch, Al Rayssi said: “The programme aligns with the directives of the UAE’s wise leadership to prepare and qualify young Emiratis for future jobs, ensure they are well-equipped to meet the changing requirements of the labour market, and encourage UAE national students to specialise in media across local universities, to boost Emiratisation rates in the media sector, which is a vital pillar of the UAE’s vision of establishing a knowledge-based economy.”
He thanked the UAE’s national universities for cooperating with the agency to implement this training programme, noting that this partnership is a product of the Emirati sense of responsibility towards preparing future generations and motivating them to play an active role in the media sector, which is among the key drivers of the country’s sustainable development and economic prosperity.
He affirmed that the Emirates News Agency, in the midst of its ongoing development efforts to expand its operations and the provision of its media services in 19 languages that reach different parts of the world, is keen to provide a conducive environment for Emirati youth, powered by its firm belief that they are partners in its journey to achieve greater success and sustainable excellence.
Al Rayssi added that, due to this belief in the importance of youth, the Global Programme for the Empowerment of Young Media Persons will be part of the agenda of the Global Media Congress, which is organised by ADNEC Group in cooperation with WAM, from November 15-17, 2022, and will see the participation of 300 young journalists from around the world.
Abdullah Abdul Kareem, Acting Executive Director for News Content at WAM, gave a brief on the Kafa’a programme, stressing that the programme serves as a codification of the media training process and its theoretical and practical frameworks with the aim of providing national media institutions with well-trained professionals, enabling them to excel in the various fields of media work.
Abdul Kareem described the training programme as a unique opportunity for trainees of Emirati nationals who are starting their career in media, through which they can achieve their career ambitions in this vital field and serve their country in the process.
He said that the programme will contribute to developing the country’s media industry through arming national youth with the skills to keep pace with the future of media.
