GE organized a ‘GE Day' at the all-female Effat University in Jeddah to support students with their future career, build leadership skills, and encourage knowledge transfer, while presenting diverse career opportunities for talented students within the organization. The one-day event was organized as part of GE's commitment to further strengthen Saudi human capital development and to encourage more Saudi women to pursue rewarding career responsibilities within GE's diverse businesses. Hisham Albahkali, GE's President & CEO for Saudi Arabia and Bahrain, said: “We are thankful to Effat University for the opportunity to organize GE Day at Effat, which highlights our commitment to support Saudi youth talent. Through GE Day, we placed the emphasis on building the leadership skills of the students. We also highlighted the opportunities that are available for female students, especially with the launch of the first all-female shared service center in Riyadh. Today, GE is an employer of choice for Saudi professionals and through initiatives such as GE Day, we are reaching out to the student community to be part of our diverse operations in the Kingdom.” Dr. Haifa Jamal Al-Lail, President of Effat University, said: “Fostering academic-industry linkages is an important commitment of Effat University to further support our student community. GE Day is a strong example of how the private sector can work with our students, and provide them insights into the career opportunities within the company. The topics of discussion also enabled in building their personal and professional skills.” A number of interactive sessions led by GE's senior managers were held as part of GE Day at Effat University. These sessions discussed the future outlook of the students, their job aspirations, skillsets, interpersonal communication skills, and social media engagement. Special focus was placed on strengthening the leadership skills of the students and highlighting the importance of localized innovation. GE's managers provided an overview of the company's vision, and operations in the Kingdom covering healthcare, power & water, oil & gas, aviation, energy management, and lighting sectors. They also shed light on factors that should be taken into consideration when candidates are exploring interview opportunities, in addition to the career opportunities within GE and its credentials as one of the Top 3 ‘employers of choice' in the Kingdom. GE also organized a panel discussion on ‘Imagination at Work' led by GE that included a faculty member of Effat University, GE business leader and student representatives. The discussion was centered on the right skills for a new job, the benefits of collaboration between universities and corporate entities, and how to get the GE experience without being employed at the organization. Other aspects that were discussed included the career opportunities for female engineers at the GE Manufacturing Technology Center in Dammam, which already employs 2 Saudi female engineers in the workshop and is looking to expand its workforce to include more Saudi female engineers. GE also provides 60 Saudi university students with academic scholarships each year. Educational scholarships are provided to 30 students of the King Fahd University of Petroleum & Minerals (KFUPM), while 30 scholarships are provided exclusively to female students from various universities in the Kingdom including the University of Dammam. GE's managers also talked about the Saudi GE Innovation Center in Dhahran Techno-Valley. Aimed at fostering homegrown innovation, the 2,200 sq. meter center works closely with customers on addressing the Kingdom's priorities in creating more energy efficient and affordable healthcare solutions. With three offices and six facilities, Saudi Arabia accounts for the largest GE workforce in the Middle East with over 1,400 employees driving the healthcare, transportation, power, oil & gas, water, and aviation businesses. More than 500 GE turbines currently generate over 50 percent of Saudi's electricity, and the company's advanced technology supports the production of 180 million liters clean water daily, delivered to the country's remotest corners. — SG
