Conrad Abu Dhabi Etihad Towers launches employment programme for people of determination,The Inclusive Internships and Employment Programme has been created in partnership with SEDRA

Conrad Abu Dhabi Etihad Towers has launched an initiative that seeks to coach, train and support young people - including people of determination - looking for employment or internships at the property.

Person of determination is a term first introduced in 2016 by HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of UAE and Ruler of Dubai, to describe anyone living with special needs or disability outlined in the Federal Law No. 29 of 2006 Concerning the Rights of People with Special Needs.

For its Inclusive Internships and Employment Programme, Conrad Abu Dhabi has teamed with SEDRA, a non-profit organization in emirate focused on removing the barriers to entry for people of determination to excel in the workplace.

The hotel issued a statement saying: ”In a rapidly changing world, and with over one billion people with determination on our planet, it has become increasingly important to Conrad Abu Dhabi Etihad towers to ensure that it is creating a diverse and cultural work which benefits its team.

"Partnering with the SEDRA Foundation, the hotel is intent on coaching, training, and supporting persons of disability, leaving no one behind. Intending to lead by example, the luxury property aims to assemble the best team possible and empower them to use their talents. Hoping that by gaining economic inclusion through their own career, young people will benefit from an increased feel of self-sufficiency and belonging, ultimately creating a better quality of life.”

The three new team members joining the Conrad Abu Dhabi Etihad Towers team are Vincent Baur, Marc-Alain Gauer, and Cristina Pozzi.

Baur, an ambassador of Inclusion at SEDRA Foundation has to experience in Dubai hotels. Meanwhile, Gauer, studying at Ecole Hôtelière Lausanne in Vaud, Switzerland, has already gained work experience at Hilton Ras Al Khaimah Beach Resort. Finally, Pozzi, the property’s most recent recruit, gained valuable experience working in restaurants and hotels in her native Italy while simultaneously studying for a four-year diploma in catering, hospitality, travel, and tourism.

Employment rates among those who would be considered a person of determination of working-age remains an issue to this day. While the United Nations does not have data for any of the Gulf states, it does say that disabled people in the EU are two to three times more likely to be unemployed; 90 percent in developing countries are unemployed; 65 percent are unemployed in the United States; 50 to 70 percent in industrialized countries are unemployed; and in the UK, unemployment is three times as likely.

source