Kuwait Finance House (KFH) recently concluded its inaugural PR Academy program. Designed to educate undergraduate students and recent graduates, the program focused on the foundational principles of public relations and media, as well as their practical application within KFH departments. This initiative aligns with KFH's commitment to social responsibility and the development of young talent.

On this occasion, KFH held a closing ceremony to honor the trainees. During the ceremony, the participants presented their projects they developed throughout the program to the Bank’s executive management represented by Group Chief Human Resources and Transformation Officer Zeyad Abdullah AlOmar.

In his speech, AlOmar commended the trainees for the exceptional skills they acquired through the program and the distinctive practical projects they created as a result.

He emphasized that KFH is committed to offering the most advanced training programs, utilizing the latest and highest quality standards. This enables young people to develop their skills and invest their time effectively. He pointed out that the four-week program included comprehensive lectures, workshops, and seminars, as well as visits to KFH's strategic partners and several government agencies.

AlOmar stressed KFH’s role in supporting students, youth and national cadres and offering the best training programs in line with its social responsibility. Additionally, KFH continues to hone the talents and skills of young people and harness all efforts to enhance their capabilities and provide them with technical and practical expertise.

Meanwhile, KFH Deputy General Manager for Public Relations and Media, Yousef Abdullah Al-Ruwaieh, commended the success of the PR Academy. This initiative, conceived and executed by the Public Relations and Media team at KFH, received further support from executive management and the relevant departments under the bank's Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) strategy and as part of its support for youth.

Al-Ruwaieh added that the program had successfully achieved its goals of training students and young people in the fundamentals of public relations and media. This was clearly demonstrated by the impressive projects presented by the trainees. He commended their innovative ideas and meticulous attention to detail, highlighting the depth of their understanding of the knowledge gained through the workshops they had attended.

He pointed out that 20 trainees were selected out of 400 applicants. The selection process was rigorous, involving careful evaluation and personal interviews with KFH representatives from the Public Relations and Media, and Human Resources departments. He also commended the trainees for their enthusiastic participation in the program and the valuable hands-on experience they gained in understanding the functions of public relations and media, both in general and specifically within the private sector.

Al-Ruwaieh explained that the program involved important aspects of PR and media (i.e. public relations, sustainability, social responsibility, media relations, journalistic writing skills, communication with various media outlets, event management, social media content management, communicating with the public, government relations and communicating with official authorities). The program also included photography and film editing, in addition to other media skills.

He went on to say that the training program focused on key aspects of a public relations and media employee's work. This included appearing on camera, interacting with the public, engaging with customers through official media platforms, and other practical exercises. These exercises offered trainees the opportunity to discover their potential in various fields.

Al-Ruwaieh revealed that KFH will continue to host similar training programs that contribute to the development and empowerment of youth in the PR and Media. He revealed that the that the upcoming editions will be developed to include new ideas.

He also stressed the importance of public relations and media as a key factor of success for any institution, noting that public relations have a major role in supporting the strategic objectives of the organization.