In support of the UAE government’s vision of increasing opportunities for Emiratis to actively contribute to and lead the advancement of the country’s booming private sector, ALEC Engineering and Contracting LLC (ALEC), a leading construction and related businesses company in the GCC and Africa, has announced the launch of ‘Mustaqbal’. Mustaqbal is a mentorship program that is dedicated to elevating technical and leadership skills among young Emirati professionals in the construction sector.
“ALEC prides itself on its development & leadership programs and we are delighted to have Mustaqbal as yet another hallmark program within our business. Our initiatives enable us to attract top talent, up-skill and cross-skill our employees and ultimately deploy highly skilled professionals on the mega projects we undertake,” said Gavin Stone, Group Director – People & Culture at ALEC.
60% of the 15 participants in this pilot cohort are female. With construction and real-estate being two key pillars of the UAE’s economy, ensuring inclusivity and opportunity for promising Emirati females is of vital importance for ALEC.
In the first few months, the programme will focus on developing participants’ knowledge and expertise around accountability in the workplace, time management, and communication — skills that ALEC sees as fundamental to professionals at every stage in their careers. In addition to the technical skill sets that candidates will accrue from their exposure to real-world scenarios at ALEC construction sites, the company is also set to draw on the expertise of both in-house and guest mentors to hone participants’ abilities in team dynamics, leadership and management, and presentation.
Clare Verall, ALEC’s Learning and Development Business Partner, remarked, “It’s truly inspiring to see the participants’ engagement and enthusiasm, particularly when they integrate real-life examples and practical learning into their daily roles. This program is designed to empower dedicated young Emiratis who aspire towards both professional and personal development.”
The year-long programme will culminate in each of the Emirati participants being assigned to one of the many cutting-edge research and development projects being executed by ALEC’s industry-acclaimed Innovation Division. This arm of the business has been responsible for the introduction of several innovations that have now been implemented either internally at ALEC, or at its client’s projects.
“With the commendable initiatives being constantly implemented by the UAE government, Emiratis have an unmissable opportunity to be at the forefront of the regional, and indeed the global, construction industry. At ALEC, we are deeply committed to supporting this vision by equipping our Emirati employees with real-world expertise from some of the industry’s most seasoned veterans,” said Barry Lewis, CEO at ALEC.