Al -Jazeera Net Correspondents
9/7/2025–|Last update: 09:49 (Mecca time)
Doha 6 years ago, the Qatar Professional Development Center launchedQatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development“My Professional – My Future” program, putting his eyes as a strategic goal represented in linking high school students in Qatar In the field of realistic work, and directing them towards studied professional paths that are in line with their capabilities and aspirations, and at the same time respond to the needs of the national labor market.
The program, which started its seventh edition this week, is one of the most prominent professional initiatives in Qatar, as it annually attracts dozens of institutions and major companies to provide realistic training experiences for school students, in various work environments that include vital sectors such as medicine, aviation, media, technology, the banking and energy sector, which makes it an ideal platform for creating early professional awareness among students and building a practical bridge between education and the labor market.
The current version of the program is witnessing a qualitative expansion, in which 250 male and female students from various secondary schools in the country participate, compared to only 86 in the last version, and participants are involved in training experiences with 25 entities and institutions representing a wide range of sectors, including emerging fields such as technology, sports, media and communication, in a move that reflects the diversity of professional options available to Qatari youth.
Realistic coexistence
In his interview with Al -Jazeera Net, the Executive Director of the Qatar Center for Professional Development, Saad Abdullah Al -Kharji, confirms that the program “My Professional – My Future” has become one of the largest professional coexistence programs in Qatar in terms of the size of participation and diversity of sectors and specialties, noting that the center is working to expand and enhance partnerships so that the program becomes a comprehensive national platform that contributes to building the capabilities of youth and directing them towards a promising professional future.
Al -Kharji explained that the program targets the ninth until the twelfth grades, which is the age stage in which the student’s professional tendencies begin, noting that some students participate in the program more than once and are going through different experiences in several sectors, which helps them to develop more accurate academic and professional choices, especially in precise disciplines such as the medical field.
He added that the partner institutions in the current version rose to 25, compared to only 15 last year, which reflects the growing interest of national institutions in contributing to building a conscious and qualified generation for the requirements of the changing labor market.
Professional awareness
For his part, Muhammad Ali Al -Yafii, head of the professional programs and services department at the center, believes that the program represents a practical educational experience that enhances early vocational awareness among high school students in Qatar, by combining direct experimental learning and interacting with real work environments in prestigious institutions.
Al -Yafii explained, in his interview with Al -Jazeera Net, that the program allows the participants within a week of field training the opportunity to gain vital skills such as critical thinking, teamwork, and professional communication, in realistic business contexts, and this contributes to better preparation for the requirements of the university stage and beyond.
The program is included in the series of “professional coexistence” initiatives organized by the center, as well as other programs such as “small employee” that targets children from 7 to 15 years, and the “Professional Village” program directed to the students of the preparatory and secondary levels, where it builds “my profession – my future” on the outputs of these programs and gives students a more specially specialized training experience.
12 thousand hours of training
Al -Yafii pointed out that the program was able, since its inception, 6 years ago, to attract more than 500 male and female students, who have fought more than 12 thousand field training hours within state institutions, explaining that the added value is not limited to students, but also includes partner institutions that benefit from the energy and curiosity of youth, and learn about promising competencies that may join their cadres in the future.
He stressed that the real impact of the program is manifested in the long run in building a “lifelong learning” culture in the new generation, as the journey of skills acquires from the moment the student enters the work environment begins, and continues through his school years and beyond, indicating that the program represents a turning point in the course of the professional and cognitive students.
The results of the opinion polls and follow -up conducted by the Qatar Professional Development Center periodically after the end of each copy of the program, that a large percentage of the participating students confirmed that their experience in my “my profession – my future” directly affected their university choices and academic orientations.
Student Mahmoud Fahd, one of the participants in the current version, explained in his interview with Al -Jazeera Net that he chose the program because he aspires to study medicine, and he was eager to find out this field closely, especially since his family owns a hospital in Syria He hopes to return and work there after graduation, adding that this experience will give him a deeper vision to determine his decision on the appropriate specialization.
Perfect
As for the student Omar Salah al -Din, he said that he wants to study physical therapy, and he decided to participate in the program to live in the field of field work realistic, and this helps him in making a deliberate academic decision.
He added that the partnerships that the program holds with institutions such as “Square” and “Hamad Medical Corporation” give it an ideal opportunity to discover the work environment in this field.
The program is in line with Qatar National Vision 2030, especially in its slit related to human resources development and stimulating the knowledge economy. Through early guidance and providing realistic practical experiences, “my profession – my future” contributes to preparing a young, conscious and qualified generation to engage in the labor market with skills and knowledge that is appropriate to national development needs.