Emirates Global Aluminium (EGA), the largest industrial company in the United Arab Emirates outside the oil and gas sector, has announced the launch of a mentorship program named Ershaad. This initiative is designed specifically for female UAE students, aiming to encourage and equip them to pursue careers in various industrial fields, particularly in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM).

The Ershaad program offers dedicated mentoring sessions with EGA experts, providing students with industry exposure, career guidance, and the chance to connect with professional networks. In addition to mentoring, the program includes networking events and interactive workshops that focus on practical training, organizational culture, and financial skills.

Abdulnasser Bin Kalban, Chief Executive Officer of EGA, highlighted the importance of this initiative by stating that the UAE is among the few countries where more women than men graduate from university in STEM fields. He expressed that empowering young women to enter the industrial sector contributes to building a knowledge-based economy and supports the UAE’s Operation 300bn industrial growth strategy. He emphasized EGA’s goal to inspire students to become the leaders and innovators of tomorrow through programs like Ershaad.

EGA has formed partnerships with several universities, including the American University of Sharjah, Sharjah University, United Arab Emirates University, and Khalifa University, to enroll students in the Ershaad program. This initiative is part of EGA’s broader effort to develop the future national industrial workforce, which also includes other outreach programs like Engineer the Future and an Al Robot competition for engineering students.

The Engineer the Future program alone reached more than 7,300 students from 29 schools in the 2023-2024 academic year, totaling over 30,000 participants since its inception in 2017. This program aims to spark interest in STEM by showcasing their real-world applications in industry. Currently, EGA employs around 1,500 professionals in STEM fields, with over 500 being UAE Nationals.