Abu Dhabi, UAE: Zayed University is reshaping how early-year students prepare for future careers by introducing a Workplace Readiness program that begins in the first academic year, offering hands-on professional exposure through industry partnerships, including a collaboration with Khaleej Times, the UAE’s leading English-language newspaper. The initiative is part of the university’s First-Year Experience programme, designed to build practical skills and career clarity much earlier than traditional internship timelines.
According to Khaleej Times, the programme enables students to step outside of lecture based learning and experience organisational culture, communication, teamwork, and ethics through real-world interactions, rather than waiting for final-year internships.
Professional Skills From Day One
The course targets first-year, second-semester students. It helps them understand how real organisations function across different departments. Students also learn how to match their strengths with possible career paths.
Speaking to Khaleej Times, Mohammed Shaffaf, Partnerships Specialist at Zayed University, said the course shows that Khaleej Times is not only a media brand. He explained that the organisation also runs HR, finance, marketing, design, IT and production departments.
Inside the Khaleej Times Industry Experience
Students visited the Khaleej Times newsroom and met industry mentors. They also worked on applied assignments based on real workflows. The final work was showcased during the university’s Industry Showcase event. Students presented research, posters, communication material and team projects inspired by the KT newsroom ecosystem.
Alia R. Zaghloul, Head of People and Culture at Khaleej Times, said students showed strong progress in critical thinking and communication skills. She added that the programme improved confidence, teamwork and workplace maturity.
What Students Said: As Reported by Khaleej Times
Students from Journalism, International Relations and Accounting programmes shared positive feedback.
They said the partnership helped them connect academic theory with professional expectations. They also enjoyed seeing creativity inside a real newsroom environment. Many students expressed interest in spending more time exploring other KT departments such as printing, multimedia and studio operations.
A Model for Early-Stage Employability in the UAE
The initiative reflects a growing shift in the UAE.Career readiness is now built into early-year learning, not only during final-year internships. It supports the UAE’s focus on youth skills, employability and future-ready talent.
The model helps students prepare for technology-driven and content-driven global careers.
News Credit: Khaleej Times
