For six consecutive years, the Welfare Association has successfully run the Supporting High Education and Career Development Project that is funded by Abraaj Group. The aim of the project is to build students’ capacity and develop their skills to prepare them for the labor market after graduation.
In conversation with Nadine Salim, Project Manager at the University College for Applied Sciences (UCAS), Salim explained that the project covers college fees and provides the basic requirements of the students enrolled in Bachelor degrees and diplomas. Salim added that the project also arranges internships for adults, who grew up orphans, and further helps them to set up small businesses if they were not enrolled in a college.
Under this project, UCAS launched a capacity building program for Mustaqbali students in February 2015. The training course provided 51 students with a 30-hour training course in photography. This topic was chosen based on students’ interests and passions. More life skills courses will be conducted during mid-term and summer holidays in order not to affect participants’ core education commitments.