QCDC Summer Career Camp concludes

Qatar Career Development Center (QCDC) has concluded the fourth edition of its Summer Career Camp in which 55 secondary school students have taken part.The two-week camp featured a variety of activities and educational programmes, as well as stimulating workshops that offered practical skills and knowledge to help inspire students as they plan their future academic and career paths. A large number of Qatari students participated in the camp, which included site visits to leading organisations in Qatar such as Hamad Medical Corporation, Qatar Tourism Authority, Msheireb Museums, Qatar Development Bank, and Qatar Business Incubation Center. These visits offered a glimpse into different professions, and taught students about the career opportunities available at each organisation. Students also participated in a number of workshops delivered by the organisations to help them match their abilities and skills with a variety of career choices.Abdulla al-Mansoori, Director of QCDC, said: “We’re pleased with the number of Qatari youth who have benefited from QCDC’s efforts, which aim to help young people make more informed career choices. The decisions they make today will not only shape their futures, but will also outline the future of the country. Therefore, we must ensure that these decisions are made in a mindful and informed manner, and identify the various associated factors.”As part of the educational workshops, the students learned how to write resumes and prepare for university admissions; both important skills as they progress through their academic and career paths. The Summer Career Camp 2017 focused on additional topics such as entrepreneurship and handicraft projects, in order to demonstrate careers outside traditional office jobs, including starting a business and making use of personal talents. Students also participated in a series of handicraft workshops, including a session on how to make perfume. The students were then given the opportunity to produce their own perfumes by mixing various oils and scents.This year’s camp featured special guest Sheikha al-Wadaani, a Qatari psychology major at the University of Sussex in England. In 2013, al-Wadaani created a new game as part of her participation in the INJAZ competition, where she won the ‘Best Student Company in Qatar’ award. Later, she participated in the INJAZ Al-Arab regional competition, where she won the ‘Best Social Impact’ award. Al-Wadaani’s game, titled ‘Learn and Enjoy,’ aims to teach students about different school curricula and subjects, and was inspired by the board game Monopoly. Al-Wadaani shared her success story with the students and invited them to modify her game to be more career-relevant. Students in turn shared what they learned during the Summer Career Camp 2017.Additionally, QCDC and Al-Wadaani have collaborated to develop a practical framework to launch a new version of the ‘Learn and Enjoy’ game focusing on four key areas: military, medicine, business, and tourism. The camp’s attendees were divided into different groups to add more areas, topics, and questions to the game. This new version of the game will be used by QCDC in its various trainings, workshops, camps, and programs.The Summer Career Camp is one of several initiatives organised by QCDC, a member of Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development (QF), designed to help Qatari youth make decisions on their academic and professional potential.