Thirty six native UAE jobseekers who completed the 'Mehanty' training programme have been offered job contracts with some of the leading companies in the retail sector.

The 36 Nationals were offered jobs with the Al Tayer Group, ETA Ascon, Damas, Jumbo Electronics, The Al Futtaim Group, Al Maya Group, AGMC (BMW), in addition to eight leading hotels in Dubai.

The contracts were awarded to them by Tanmia, the National Human Resource Development and Employment Authority, whose aim is to address the imbalance in the labour market in the region, due to excessive dependence on expatriate workforce.

The 'Mehanty' programme, launched by Emirates National Development Program (ENDP) in association with the Al Tayer Group, was designed to help young UAE National job seekers develop knowledge and skills specific to the retail sector.

Participants of the programme undergo theoretical and practical training to experience real-life work environment.

'An increasing number of National jobseekers are expressing their willingness to work in the country's booming retail sector, which is certainly an encouraging sign.

'The ever-growing number of shopping malls in the UAE has significantly boosted job opportunities in this sector, and we believe that, with the required training, UAE Nationals have the potential to excel in this domain,' said Noora El Bedour, manager of Employment and Skills Development Centre, Tanmia.

According to studies conducted by Tanmia, the growth in shopping malls in the UAE is expected to increase by 190 per cent by 2010 and during this period retail spending is expected to account for 25 per cent of the country's Gross Domestic Product.

'We thank the Al Tayer Group for their contribution to the 'Mehanty' programme and also for offering job opportunities for Nationals in their retail outlets,' said El Bedour. - TradeArabia News Service