RIYADH — Sixteen interns were welcomed to the Qiddiya offices this week as they commenced the second MiSK-Qiddiya Internship Program — Qiddiya Investment Company's (QIC) internship program, in conjunction with the Muhammad Bin Salman Foundation (MiSK). The enhanced program was developed by Qiddiya and MiSK to create Saudi workforce of the future, helping to bridge the current gap between education and employment. Building on the success of the previous year, the newly enhanced learning initiative will last 28 weeks, with the goal of offering the freshly graduated students a full-time position at Qiddiya. "Qiddiya is committed to training the Kingdom's next generation and future leaders through a growing range of scholarships and internships that unlock new professional pathways," said QIC's Chief Executive Officer, Mike Reininger. "Training young talent is an essential part of our plan to employ 25,000 people by 2030, benefiting from listening to fresh ideas generated by young Saudi talent." "Misk aims to provide Saudi youth with access to world-class educational and professional upskilling opportunities," said Misk Initiative Center's Executive Manager for human capital development, Mishary Alibraheem. "Hands-on learning, through internships, is a cornerstone for preparing youth to enter the market and create impact in their communities". Throughout the next seven months, each intern will be mentored by an executive director from Qiddiya to assist in day-to-day tasks, learn new skills and receive valuable practical experience. The internship will also feature enrichment programs such as professional training and courses, in addition to industry visits to leading companies within Riyadh including Samsung. Interns will also compete around the development of a project, to win a weekend trip abroad with their families. Testing their creativity and business acumen, each student will be asked to solve an individual challenge currently facing Qiddiya and present his ideas to a panel of MiSK & Qiddiya judges. Commenting, Hessa Al Qassim said, "I'm very excited about the opportunity to work for one of the largest projects in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia which supports the Vision 2030." "Qiddiya is helping young Saudis to fulfill their potential and be part of the Kingdom's 2030 Vision." said Khalid Aldowayan. "We have a chance to help develop the entertainment sector right here in our homeland." The MiSK-Qiddiya internship program is one of many youth development programs and recruitment initiatives created to fuel Qiddiya, the Kingdom's new capital of sports, entertainment and the arts that is creating new industry sectors, generating new professional opportunities and empowering an emerging skilled work force.
