McKinsey & Company has launched a special edition of edad to commemorate the programme’s 10th anniversary in the Middle East.
The two-day programme brought together 100 university female students and young female professionals who are just beginning their careers.
edad, which means preparation in Arabic, was established to nurture a diverse pool of talented students and young professionals in the Middle East from a wide variety of universities and academic backgrounds. Participants get exposure to on-the-job consulting experience and have access to different critical skill-building programmes that prepare them for the workforce, including interview preparation, effective communications, and problem-solving essentials.
Over the past ten years, more than 1,000 young Arab students and young professionals have participated in edad, one-third of whom have been women.
Eefke Post, Partner at McKinsey in the Middle East, said: “We were excited to mark this special occasion with a programme dedicated to this group of young aspiring female students and professionals. The region is filled with amazing youth, full of talent and promise. Programmes like edad help unlock opportunities for this potential to be realised and we’re grateful to play a small part.”
Fatema AlGharbi, Engagement Manager from our Bahrain office, said: “Through edad, we meet incredible individuals who want to be part of building their future in region they call home vs. having to build a future elsewhere. Some join McKinsey or other private-sector organisations, others go on to work in government, and some go own start their own businesses - all of them are inspiring and are contributing to this region’s transformation.”
May Alkhaldi, Associate, edad alumna and facilitator of the all-women programme said: “I completed edad in 2016 and joined McKinsey in the Dubai office shortly after graduation. Getting first-hand knowledge of the Firm's values and work environment through edad, helped solidify that McKinsey was the right fit for me. As a Saudi national, I'm always excited to support efforts that help to identify the region's hidden talent and I'm fortunate to be part of edad's faculty team.”
Testimonials from participants in the programme:
“I remember leaving feeling like I got to finally understand what consultants actually do – and the reality is, at its most basic level, they help solve problems – and learning how to think about solving these major, country-shaping problems, was extremely inspiring.”
“The personality type session was great! I learned more about myself and my own style of working, which in turn helped me think about how to work better with colleagues.”
“This 2-day session is one of the best things that happened to me in 2020! Being surrounded by inspirational women from different backgrounds has been extremely motivating and energising!”
edad’s next virtual programme is planned to take place from December 4 to 5 for residents in the GCC. Registration is open until November 24, 2020. -- Tradearabia News Service
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