New decree allows students to work in UAE private sector

Saqr Ghobash, Minister of Human Resources and Emiratisation, has issued a Decree empowering students to complete training periods and fill positions in the private sector after obtaining their work permits.

Conditions of the Decree stipulate the need for written consent by the guardianship of student aged between 12 and 18 years for training purposes, similarly to those aged 15 to 18 seeking a work permit.

The Decree grants new (national and foreign) students similar conditions, in terms of benefits and advantages, to those already filling the same spot.

The Decree orders the management to comply with all the procedures and qualities of the permitted work during the training periods or filling of actual jobs.

Ghobash said, "The Decree comes within the framework of carrying out tasks assigned to the ministry in terms of labour market management in accordance with the vision of the future government, to develop human resources and invest in their capabilities so as to enhance productivity and participation in the labour market.

"The Decree complements previous ones that had been issued back in 2011 with regards to issuing temporary work permits for juveniles; therefore, students follow such categories in which may be enrolled in private sector enterprises under those permits."

Under the authorised temporary work permit, facilities can hire citizen or non-citizen students registered or non-registered in the ministry’s database, including students to work on projects with completion periods not exceeding six months, with permit fees of Dh500.

The ministry also grants temporary work permits for facilities to use citizens or non-citizens registered in the ministry database or non-registered, including students, to work fewer hours in the same job filled by counterparts for a period not exceeding one year, with fees of Dh500.

Juvenile work permits, provided by the ministry to employ citizen or non-citizens between the ages of 15 and 18 years, enable them to work for a period not exceeding one year, for which fees are Dh500.

The ministry urges companies to appoint students to work not more than six hours a day, granting them one or more hours of rest breaks to eat or pray, and avoid keeping them on duty for more than four consecutive hours a day.

Permits can be requested from Tas’heel service centres or through the ministry’s smartphone applications.

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