In continued support to Saudi Vision 2030's mission of empowering youth with opportunities, the Citi Foundation and Education For Employment (EFE) in Saudi Arabia partnered together for the 2nd year to continue the momentum in creating economic opportunities for unemployed Saudi youth in 2019. With Citi Foundation's support, EFE in Saudi Arabia launched its "Work Readiness Program" to nurture and inspire 30 young Saudi with skills to succeed on the job and in life. With Citi's support, EFE in Saudi Arabia was able to enhance their interpersonal skills in the workplace, where the Head of Human Resources Department for Citi Saudi Arabia, Ms. Dana Alhozami, shared her experience with EFE alumni's. The "Workplace Readiness" program was designed to highlight various aspects of the employment search such as effective communication, emotional intelligence, time management and interpersonal skills to meet employer expectations and overcome the challenges of adjusting to the work environment. 100% of program graduates were placed into pre-committed jobs in the private sector, thus enabling them to make a valuable contribution to their community and economy. Abdulrahman Alshammari, a graduate of the program, is grateful to have been part of the program, saying: "The things I've learned throughout the training made a huge difference to me, it helped me a lot when it came to customer service for example, to be honest the knowledge I gained left a great impact on me, career wise and personally too. " Mr. Amr Abdallah, Director of Gulf Programs at EFE-Global, added: "We are very proud to partner with the Citi Foundation to bring this effort to Saudi Arabia to enable Saudi youth reach their potential and compete in growing sectors and contribute to Saudi vision 2030. We look forward to the continuous partnership between EFE-Global and the Citi Foundation. The skills that Saudi youth acquired in this program are based on the proven model that has enabled the EFE Network to connect its 100,000 graduates to the world of work in nine countries across the Middle East and North Africa." "We're thrilled to see that our partnership with EFE is helping Saudi women and men become work-ready and secure jobs that will enable them to contribute to the Kingdom's economy,'' said Carmen Haddad, Citi Country Officer-Saudi Arabia. ‘'The EFE partnership falls within Citi Foundation's efforts to reach 500,000 youth globally and to help the next generation to move closer towards their career goals and sustainable futures. As young people continue to face high rates of unemployment in the Middle East and North Africa, it is an economic imperative that businesses open their doors and invest in developing the skills of young people." The activities in Saudi Arabia is part of a regional Citi-EFE Global partnership in alignment with the Citi Foundation's Pathways to Progress global approach that prepares youth with career readiness skills and opportunities to thrive in today's economy. Now entering its sixth year, the Citi-EFE Global partnership provides training and economic opportunities to unemployed youth in Morocco, Tunisia, and, for the second time, in Saudi Arabia and the UAE. In 2019 alone, the partnership will impact 650 youth, nearly doubling the impact achieved in the partnership's first five years. Beyond providing direct program support to EFE, the Citi Foundation has played a unique and crucial role in enhancing the efficacy of the EFE Network by supporting EFE's systems and outreach. — SG
