Crescent Enterprises, Sharjah Ladies Club nurture future leaders

SHARJAH, 3rd August, 2017 (WAM) -- Crescent Enterprises, the UAE-based multinational conglomerate, organised its second Young Entrepreneur Business Camp in collaboration with Sharjah Ladies Club, SLC.

The three-day series of workshops focused on building entrepreneurial capabilities and soft skills in children aged from eight to thirteen.

The event was part of the pilot phase of Sharjah’s first entrepreneurship programme dedicated to children, which is a collaborative effort of Crescent Enterprises and SLC that aims to support female entrepreneurs and foster young talent in the GCC region. The two parties have co-hosted a series of two Young Entrepreneur Business Camps in the last seven months, which drew the participation of 28 young girls.

The workshops comprised a host of interactive and hands-on sessions that introduced the children to key entrepreneurial processes, such as conceptualising innovative ideas, developing a business model and pitching to a panel of investors. Other sessions focused on honing soft skills, including critical thinking and teamwork, through creative activities. In line with the programme’s focus on the role of technology in business, participants also designed and simulated their own mobile applications using the paper prototyping technique.

Ola al Haj Hussin, Corporate Citizenship Manager at Crescent Enterprises, said, "Children are truly the source of tomorrow’s ideas and innovation. It is important we teach them to create their own opportunities and thrive regardless of the economic situation or the job market. With this goal in mind, we are proud to collaborate with SLC in creating a unique learning environment that enables young entrepreneurs to grow into independent, confident and capable leaders."

She added: "The Young Entrepreneur Business Camp aligns with Crescent Enterprises’ commitment to equipping tomorrow’s leaders with skills and self-belief that will lead them to master, and maybe even create, unconventional jobs that may not exist today. To this end, we have invited like-minded institutions to explore the possibility of scaling the pilot across the emirate with organisations such as the Sharjah Entrepreneurship Centre (Sheraa), so that the footprint of the programme is expanded to reach as many children as possible."

Shaikha Al Suwaidi, Manager of the SLC’s College Talent Centre, said, "These workshops are an integral component of SLC’s Mushmis Summer Camp and has been specially designed to teach the young attendees how to design and present ideas, therefore building their communication skills. Entrepreneurship and innovation are the lifeblood of the UAE economy, so we believe that it is essential to use every available opportunity to impart these skills to the nation’s youngest members. We are delighted to be able to partner with Crescent Enterprises to bring this vital educational experience to the camp’s participants."