Two Dubai students have created an innovative website to enhance job opportunities for blue-collar workers in the UAE.
Twins Sahil and Seeya Uberoi from the American School of Dubai have created a unique platform called PotentiAE, which uses AI to enhance resumes and help people find jobs.
Speaking to Khaleej Times, the Grade 12 student, Sahil Uberoi said, “It all started in 2021 when an immigrant who had just arrived in the UAE sought our help to create curriculum vitae (CV) for him, as he had never heard of the concept before. That’s how we made our first CV, which resulted a huge job upgrade for him.”
Stay up to date with the latest news. Follow KT on WhatsApp Channels.
Sahil says that the idea is to help develop the ability of people of lower income groups create basic resumes. He says that this will help workers reflect their true capabilities in their applications, significantly impacting their chances of landing a better job, and eventually having a better life.
“We realised that many residents all around the country would be seeking better employment opportunities and financial stability. This experience inspired us to create this initiative,” he added.
Upon accessing the website, individuals are required to complete a concise professional summary, including their current job description, soft and technical skills, passions, and future goals. Based on these inputs, the website helps generate a well-crafted resume.
Seeya says that many migrants would benefit from having basic financial literacy and having access to a really simple, easy-to-navigate platform where they can create their own resume.
“It took us five months to develop this, right from the idea to when we first published the website. Initially, we lacked clarity on which subjects of financial literacy would be most advantageous for these blue-collar workers. Determining their specific needs and identifying the most beneficial information for them posed a bit of a challenge for us,” says Seeya.
The siblings, accompanied by their friends Vir Toolsidass, a student at Jumeirah College in Dubai, and Marc Al Kareh from the British School of Al Khubairat in Abu Dhabi, conducted surveys within their communities. The aim was to gather insights into what their target users actually needed.
“For the CV builder, our goal was to ensure simplicity in its usage, considering several individuals using it may face challenges with technology. Thus, we aimed to create the most user-friendly platform, integrating AI to assist users in crafting descriptions for their experiences and providing support with spelling and related aspects. Overcoming these challenges was a significant aspect of the project,” explains Sahil.
In the future, the sibling pair also aims to incorporate Arabic and Hindi into the website to reach more people.
“My friend resides in Jumeirah, an area with a significant presence of workers from the lower-income bracket, such as gardeners and taxi drivers. We frequently went around seeking their insights on what elements they believe would be most advantageous to help build their resumes,” added Sahil.
No monetisation
When asked about potential plans to generate revenue from the platform in the future, the senior school students respond, “Monetisation contradicts the core purpose of unveiling this website. We are committed to breaking the barrier that is income inequality and financial illiteracy, and this platform is the first step in ensuring some change is being made to better the lives of [blue collar workers].”
The students are actively engaging with various ministries in the UAE, particularly with the Ministry of Artificial Intelligence (AI), to officially register the platform. Shedding light on the future plans, Seeya says, “We are presently trying to get it registered. Our goal is to broaden our user base and expand the platform’s reach to as many people as possible.”