Qatar Airways has inducted 60 new national students into its Summer Internship Programme as part of the airline’s Al Darb Qatarisation Programme that fosters national talent throughout the country’s aviation industry.
The students were immersed into Qatar Airways’ workplace, giving them the opportunity to acquire essential vocational skills that will help them to be successful in their future careers.
The induction ceremony, held at the Oryx Rotana in Doha, celebrated the fourth year of the Summer Internship Programme, which has seen many students participate since its inception in 2012.
Qatar Airways, senior vice president Human resources, Nabeela Fakhri, said: “Today’s Qatari students represent the future of all business in our country, including the aviation industry, and we are keen to equip them with the tools necessary to become successful leaders in the field of their choice after graduation.
“Qatar Airways’ Al Darb Qatarisation Programme offers the opportunity for young nationals to ‘test the waters’ of the business world in one of the region’s, if not the world’s, leading companies, where we foster a diverse workforce and encourage a culture of innovation throughout. We’re offering a world of opportunity, so that Qatari youth can unlock a wealth of possibilities and successes in their future.”
While on the Summer Internship Programme, interns began their placement with four days of training in the field of business communications etiquette and effective presentation skills to prepare them to work in a professional environment. Following their induction training, the students were paired with a performance coach to ensure that each of them made the most of their internship experience.
This year’s interns received opportunities within numerous departments at Qatar Airways’ headquarters in Doha, including Capital Projects, Commercial, Finance, Communications and Marketing, Information Technology, Human Resources, Qatar Airways Holidays, Qatar Duty Free, Customer Experience, Engineering, and Technical divisions, as well as at the Oryx Rotana.
By the end of August, internship students will have learned how to collaborate and work well as team members, and have developed skills in planning and managing resources successfully, and will be able to exhibit personal responsibility by working on multiple assignments with different deadlines.
Interns who participate in the Summer Internship Programme are eligible to receive course credit from a number of universities. Presently, there are nine local and international universities that will award class credit to students who complete a Qatar Airways internship: Virginia Commonwealth University, Northwestern University, Qatar University, Stenden University, the University of Colorado (US), Arizona State University (US), University of Utah (US), University of Huddersfield (UK), and Leeds Beckett University (UK).

“Today’s Qatari students  represent  the future of all business in our country, including the aviation industry, and we are keen to equip them with the tools necessary to become successful leaders in the field of their choice after graduation"