Sharjah for Capability Development (SCD) has received applications from 110 employees representing 25 of Sharjah’s public and private sector companies, each of whom will compete to secure one of the 30 seats on offer at the 11th edition of the Sharjah Leadership Program (SLP). Starting in January 2019 and running for five months until May, this edition of SLP has adopted the theme ‘Leading with Knowledge and Imagination’.

The Rubu’ Qarn Foundation for Creating Leaders and Innovators subsidiary has begun a rigorous three-phase evaluation and assessment protocol, which will be conducted over a two-week period until early January. Applicants are undergoing a series of mandatory psychometric tests, group assessments and final interviews as part of their screening. The selection criteria also includes an assessment of the applicants’ leadership and communication skills, their focus and ability to achieve goals, personal attributes as well as language skills.

Among the candidates chosen, some represent the Executive Office of Her Highness Sheikha Jawaher bint Mohammed Al Qasimi, Rubu’ Qarn Foundation’s subsidiaries Sharjah Children and Sharjah Youth, the Executive Office of Sheikha Bodour Al Qasimi, Sharjah e-Government and Sharjah Executive Council.

Saeed Ali Alhammadi, Director of Corporate Communication at SCD, said: “With each successive edition of SLP, Emirati youth have expressed an incremental interest in participating. This is not only a clear reflection of their ambition, but also the strengthening reputation of the program in successfully offering the nation’s youth the mentoring and confidence they need to become leading professionals and  drivers of socioeconomic progress.”

“Conceptualised in line with the UAE’s and Sharjah’s vision, which places great emphasis on the importance of ensuring that our youth have access to the opportunities they need to develop their unique capacities, SLP aims to strengthen their leadership qualities and polish their professional skills,” he added.

In order to become part of the Sharjah Leadership Program, the applicant must be a UAE national in the 25–40 years age group, and should have at least five years of work experience in their field. Three seats in the program are also dedicated to expatriates who are employed within the program’s  partner organisations.

In this edition of the SLP, which is organised in a strategic partnership with Sharjah Environment Company (Bee’ah), the final 30 participants will participate in a 10-day educational visit to Italy – a fundamental part of the program – organised in a strategic partnership with Sharjah Environment Company (Bee’ah). The Italy visit’s academic partners are Bocconi University, which ranks seventh globally in executive education and training, and the American University of Sharjah (AUS).

The Italy visit will also feature field visits to some of the largest institutions in the country, and will be tailor-made to be in line with each participant’s professional specialisation. The key goal of the visit is to offer SLP participants a deeper insight into another country’s approach to fostering imagination, which is the core of innovation. Upon successful completion of the course, graduates of the 11th edition will receive certificates from both universities.