AbbVie Commences Annual Student Training Program

AbbVie, today announced the start of AbbVie’s 2018 student training program in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.  In line with Vision 2030’s objective to nationalize the job sector, the program aims to train 20 female and male students from various universities across Saudi Arabia, including King Abdulaziz University, King Khalid University, Taibah University, Taif University and Batterjee Medical College.

The six-week program comprises of a series of intensive, hands-on courses to develop a wide range of knowledge and skills needed for successful careers as pharmacists. Since the program’s inception in 2015, 107 pharmacy students and graduates have been trained with the aim of inspiring more Saudi nationals to join the private pharmaceutical sector. 

Commenting on the training, Professor Hani Asfour, Dean of the College of Pharmacy at King Abdulaziz University said, “It is rewarding to see so many of our students attend AbbVie’s student training program to further spark their passion for entering the pharmaceutical sector. As a university, it is our responsibility to equip students with not only the theoretical knowledge, but practical experience and tools needed to help them fulfil their potential. I strongly believe this training will help them become extremely talented pharmacists and will thoroughly prepare them to face the ever-changing dynamics of the pharmaceutical sector in Saudi Arabia.”

“At AbbVie, we are committed to developing local talent in line with the Government’s strategic directions, as expressed in Vision 2030.  With our training and development initiatives, such as the student training program, we aim to play a key role in attracting fresh graduates to work within the private sector and help train an increasingly competitive Saudi workforce,” said Khaled Fageha, human resources manager, AbbVie Saudi Arabia. “The students undertaking the training program are our rising stars and will play an essential role in meeting the growing needs of the Kingdom’s healthcare and pharmaceutical sector.”

Enas Al-Mohammadi, one of the trainees from King Abdulaziz University, who attended the sessions in Jeddah said, “I would like to thank the university and AbbVie for this unique opportunity to have a hands-on training experience tailored to the pharmacy profession. It has really helped bring what I’ve learnt in the classroom to the work life. Speaking to my peers and learning from experts in the field has definitely helped me realize that this is the career I want to pursue.”

To give the trainees a first-hand glimpse of what their future career entails, the program covers topics such as Supply Chain Management, Patient Support, Clinical Research Fundamentals, Market Access, Compliance as well as Communications and Public Affairs. Other sessions focused on self-improvement and assessment processes including Conflict Management, Project Management, Communication and Presentation skills. Students are also given the chance to a visit to a local manufacturing site and take part in a Q&A with AbbVie’s in-field team of pharmacists.