The MENA operation of global advertising, marketing and communications company Omnicom Media Group (OMG) has joined hands with INJAZ UAE, a member of Junior Achievement Worldwide, to support its delivery of key entrepreneurial and work-readiness programs. These will reach 10,000 students in the Emirates this year.

Omnicom Media Group MENA and INJAZ UAE will work together to support today's Emirati youth by investing in the development of their professional future. This is part of the communications holding group’s corporate social responsibility program and its commitment to supporting the development of the community in which it operates. This program is organized around the three main pillars of the Environment, Corporate behavior and the Community, the last of which has three main facets: Education, with a focus on youth, Health and the Arts.

“One of the hardest aspects of developing a solid CSR program is to find the right partner with which to engage. Once we identified the region’s youth and their full integration in the economy as a focus area, we went searching for a partner. We found it in INJAZ UAE,” said Elie Khouri, CEO of Omnicom Media Group MENA. “The passion they have shown and the results they get are truly inspiring and warrant our contribution. Our teams are clearly energized by these initiatives as they fully embrace their goals. They’re proving this by their keenness to participate in the programs we’re developing together.”

The first of the joint activities took place last week when Omnicom Media Group MENA hosted 34 University of Sharjah students for their first entrepreneurial workshop, the Innovation Day Camp. The session allowed students to engage with volunteer mentors from OMG MENA for the first time.  This was the first of three workshops that the company will support, in addition to hosting a number of Job Shadow Days for students interested in the marketing field.        

“The Innovation Day Camp was a great opportunity to give back, to help students explore some of the material they’ve covered at school but also assisting their own thought process, using some of the skills we use every day,” commented Nizar Nashed, Business Intelligence Analyst, on his role as a volunteer. “It was particularly rewarding to see students being so engaged and eager to perform in the team competition.”

Positive engagement of its employees is a key element in this partnership with Omnicom Media Group MENA, offering a meaningful way for volunteers to make an impact in their community using their professional skills.  Volunteers act as role models and mentors to students, providing real-life insight into the modern workplace and sharing their knowledge and skills to the aspiring youth.

Elie Khouri will also be lending his expertise and strategic insight as a member of INJAZ UAE’s Board of Directors, representing the advertising and communications industry. He will bring great value as a business leader and a representative of an organization renowned for its social responsibility and commitment to better the lives of youth through education. 

Commenting on the partnership, Sulaf Saleh Al-Zu’bi, CEO, INJAZ UAE, said “Emirati students are increasingly choosing majors in the creative, marketing, and communications fields. So this partnership has come at the right time. We’re proud to have an opportunity to work with Omnicom Media Group MENA at this level, helping support the country’s job diversification plans and allowing us to introduce students to the various careers in their industry that will make a difference in their future.”

In addition to employee participation, the communications group will extend its in-kind support to raise awareness through strategic marketing and branding advice.