Recipient of inaugural Mohammed Bin Rashid Innovation Fund utilises technology, creativity to empower young communities through work
InternsME has announced it is rebranding to Oliv as part of its mission to build the definitive career support made for the youth.
With youth unemployment rates in the Middle East and North Africa now at 29.3%, according to the World Bank , almost twice the global average, Oliv is using technology to empower young communities by connecting talented students and new graduates to leading employers for internships, part-time and graduate jobs.
Announcing the new name, new technology and the same mission at an event on Wednesday 4 April at the Youth xHub in Jumeirah Emirates Towers, Jean-Michel Gauthier, CEO of Oliv, said: “Oliv is home to thousands of students and graduates scattered throughout the region, who each have their own individual set of skills, ambitions and unique personalities. We are working hard to help match them to the right careers and help get their feet on the first rung of the career ladder.
“We all know that starting a career was never easy and today, it’s never been harder. But more than 1,000 businesses, including start-ups and globally recognised organisations, use and trust us to help them hire the best emerging talent to grow their business, maintain a healthy talent pipeline and reduce staff turnover.”
The event was an opportunity for students and graduates from the UAE and the rest of the world to come together with hiring managers from organisations such as Maersk, Al Nabooda Automobiles, PwC, Beehive, RAK Bank, The Fund, Dubai SME, Bosch, Dubai Angel Investors, DMCC, Danzas and APCO, with many taking part in demonstrations of the new online platform and the CV workshops.
Set to be rolled out on Sunday 8 April, Oliv’s new platform will be available for students, fresh graduates and young professionals, and with an improved search time of just 12 milliseconds, it will be the fastest career platform experience in the world.
Oliv facilitates more than 1,000 interviews every month and has worked with over 1,000 organisations from across the world including Emaar, Canon, Careem, Sephora, Bosch, Turner, ICBC and DMCC. The platform stimulates the GCC’s youth economy with more than 300 new jobs a month, targeted entirely at young people.
In October 2017, InternsME was the first recipient of the Mohammed Bin Rashid Innovation Fund, an initiative by the UAE’s Ministry of Finance that helps bridge financing gaps for the UAE’s most innovative companies.
Gauthier added: “Innovation is truly at the heart of everything we do. Our new name was inspired by young olive trees which require nurturing and care in their early days but have incredible potential to grow and flourish, as well as the internationally recognised symbol of hope.
“From the greatest gift given by Mount Olympus, to the story of Noah’s ark and its place on the United Nations flag, the olive tree has a meaningful place in history and a relevance in today’s society.”
Oliv provides employers with an innovative alternative to expensive recruitment agencies and oversaturated job boards by offering a community of candidates who have been individually screened for their skills, abilities, demographics, proficiencies and personalities.
From the candidate’s point of view, they receive access to positions based on merit rather than personal connections, one to one support, engagement and coaching from the Oliv team. Furthermore, they can submit video CVs which allow their personalities to be digitally communicated and bring their attributes to life.