This initiative meant seeking graduates looking to expand their technical knowhow and gain extra experience within the busy events environment and also in some cases, individuals willing to re-locate. The search to hire interns began before the summer to coincide with the break for college students locally and in the UK.
The students were sourced from colleges in the UK such as The University of South Wales, Rose Bruford College, Susi Earnshaw Theatre School and the SAE Institute in the UAE, each with varied Degrees. The interns will complete a stint between 1.5 months to six months depending on their availability and choice; each intern will be paired up with a senior member of the team, ensuring they are getting proper experience while assisting on a number of large scale events eclipse has lined up for this season. Being a part of a leading technical supplier in the region will give them a great deal of experience, not only in their desired field but also the working environment in the Middle East.
During the search for the young recruits, a series of technical seminars was organized to introduce the students of the Institute of Media & Communication on the basics of each of the services that the Group provides. These seminars included practical demonstrations using the equipment in the eclipse warehouses and theoretical presentations made at the EMDI premises in Knowledge Village.
The seminars concluded with a final project completed by the students where they presented a large scale event plan from A to Z, testing their newly acquired skills; plotting rigging points, appointing lighting, video, audio and power equipment and staying within the given budget.
Martin Lubach, general manager for eclipse Staging Services commented, "With an average of 50 students in attendance each day for the different seminars, we can all confirm as a group that the UAE has some talented and passionate students that will take the live events industry by storm in the coming years, and we wish them the best of luck in their future endeavours."
In addition to these initiatives, eclipse participated in the Eventice Middle East 2015, an Apprentice-style competition designed to identify individuals with the personality and skill set needed to meet the demands and challenges of a career in events, with competitors battling it out to score a highly sought after job in the industry. Being one of three organizations offering a job to the lucky winners, eclipse awarded two of the winning contestant's full time employment, despite the commitment to hire just one.
(Jim Evans)
