Dubai Entrepreneurship Academy, the educational arm of Dubai SME, the agency of Dubai Economy mandated to develop the small and medium enterprise (SME) sector, is organising a summer camp titled ‘Entrepreneurs and the Challenge of Change’ for children and youth aged 8 to 18. During the camp, the Academy will share the lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic and the need for entrepreneurs to adapt in order to maintain the growth of their start-ups. Participants will also learn about innovative ways to earn money and manage their spending.

The Academy is organising the camp in line with the digital transformation strategy in the UAE and in view of the rapid developments in recent months. It also seeks to keep pace with the directives of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai to provide quality services and value-added initiatives in various sectors with the aim of making a positive impact on the daily life of citizens and residents.

Ibtihal Al Naji, Director, Dubai Entrepreneurship Academy, said the camp, which is part of the efforts of the Academy to support and empower entrepreneus, is aimed to prepare entrepreneurs for the rapid changes happening around them.

“We are delighted to offer a variety of safe and comprehensive workshops to the community, and we look forward to providing more in future. We have also joined hands with a number of agencies and universities in the UAE, including Dubai Tourism, Zayed University, and the Federal Youth Authority, to provide training programmes and workshops aimed at building the capabilities of young people and nurturing their entrepreneurial spirit. Participants in these programmes can get acquainted with the small and medium enterprise (SME)sector and develop their leadership skills to launch their own projects in future,” Al Naji said.

Al Naji highlighted the importance of educating the youth and teaching them how to establish and manage their own businesses, and find innovative solutions to overcome crises from an early age.

The summer camp will be held from the 22^ndJuly to 19^thof August 2020, and will include four remote training workshops on various topics. The camp will open with a one-day workshop for the 15-18 age group titled ‘I Innovate’ on the 22^ndof July. Held in cooperation with INJAZ UAE the workshop will train students in finding innovative solutions to a business challenge using critical thinking and problem-solving skills. The workshop also aims to introduce entrepreneurship as a career option and teach the participants on applying basic skills and concepts.

The second training workshop will be held over two days starting 11^thAugust under the title ‘Future Generations and Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Entrepreneurship,’ targeting of 12 – 18 age group. Participants will learn about the importance of AI and its relationship to entrepreneurship, and how to apply the technology in entrepreneurial projects.

The third workshop will be held on 17^thAugust under the title ‘My Money and My Future’ for the age group 8 – 12, wherein participants will learn about ways to earn and spend money in a conscious and responsible manner.

The fourth workshop on 18^thAugust titled ‘Remote Communication Strategies’will be for the 12 – 18 age group and will focus oncommunication strategies that enhance productivity, Participants can learn how to use remote skills to attract audience and their participation in a virtual environment.

Additionally, the Academy is also providing training courses for students in the field of entrepreneurship, in partnership with the Dubai College of Tourism. Three workshops on ‘Designing an innovative business model’ will be held in July as part of the activities of the summer training programme organised by Emiratisation ‘Medyaf’with the aim of enhancing knowledge and awareness on the tourism industry and the role of citizens in this growing economic sector.

Along with the summer camp activities, the Academy is also planning eight various workshops on innovation and entrepreneurship under the umbrella of the ‘Emirates Youth Summer Academy 2020’ initiative of the Federal Youth Authority. The workshops will offer education and insight on successful digital marketing, in cooperation with Google and the Ideas Lab. The workshops are part of enabling promoting innovations and enabling ambitious entrepreneurs to play a role in the future of business.