RIYADH: Sixteen interns were welcomed to the Qiddiya Investment Company’s (QIC) offices this week, at the start of the second internship program between Qiddiya and the Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdul Aziz Foundation (Misk). The Misk-Qiddiya internship program was developed to create the Saudi workforce of the future, helping to bridge the current gap between education and employment. Building on the success of the previous year’s internships, the newly implemented initiative will last 28 weeks, with the goal of offering full-time positions. “Qiddiya is committed to training the Kingdom’s next generation and future leaders through a growing range of scholarships and internships that unlock new professional pathways,” said QIC’s CEO Mike Reininger. “Training young talent is an essential part of our plan to employ 25,000 people by 2030, benefiting from listening to fresh ideas generated by young Saudi talent.” Throughout the next seven months, each intern will be mentored by an executive director from QIC to assist in day-to-day tasks, learn new skills and receive valuable practical experience. The internship will also feature enrichment programs such as professional training and courses, in addition to industry visits to leading companies within Riyadh including Samsung.  Interns will also compete around the development of a project to win a weekend trip abroad with their family. Testing their creativity and business acumen, each student will be asked to solve an individual challenge currently facing Qiddiya and present their ideas to a panel of judges. Intern Hessa Al-Qassim said: “I’m very excited about the opportunity to work for one of the largest projects in the Kingdom which supports the Vision 2030.” “Qiddiya is helping young Saudis to fulfill their potential and be part of the Kingdom’s 2030 Vision,” added fellow intern Khalid Aldowayan. “We have a chance to help develop the entertainment sector right here in our homeland.”