GETEX – Careers & Training 2008, the international job fair being held at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre (DICEC) from April 2nd to 5th 2008, is positioning itself as the logical extension of GETEX- Student Recruitment - an event that has for the past twenty years been offering an effective platform for educators to meet with prospective students and vice versa.

But does that effectively translate into progressing to a platform for recruitment? Anselm Godinho, Managing director of GETEX Dubai organisers IC&E, believes so. “GETEX- Careers & Training is an organic progression to student recruitment. Students and professionals have always used the GETEX brand to source education and training. Asking recruiters to show up to the same platform only helps increase the overall value that the GETEX brand offers,” he says.

While Godinho is confident in his calculations, and his numbers do seem to add up, will the target audiences for Student Recruitment and Careers Segments not be completely different? “The target audiences will certainly be different, and each segment has its own visitor promotion campaign.However, there will be a certain amount of overlap because senior and graduate students are usually looking out for potential job opportunities, while most public and private sector organizations are aiming to attract fresh talent straight from universities,” explains Godinho.

Schlumberger and show sponsor ADNOC are among the exhibitors representing recruiters in the oil and gas sector, while hotel chains such as the Monarch are looking to hire talent in the hospitality industry. Government organizations including Dubai Municipality and the UAE Civil Aviation Authority are seeking employees with a flair for public services, while education providers like the British University in Dubai are headhunting academics and instructors. GETEX-Careers & Training 2008 is also hosting a portfolio of specialist recruitment agencies and facilitators, including CP, Dulsco, Oil Arabia, Intuit and Tanmia.

GETEX – Careers and Training 2008 is one of three concurrent events being held under GETEX Dubai, the Middle East’s largest education event running from April 1st- 5th 2008 at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre. GETEX-Student Recruitment 2008, held from April 2nd-5th, will allow national and expatriate students access to more than 2500 secondary and tertiary education options from over 500 education providers GETEX- Education Equipment and Technology will be held from April 1st-3rd 2008, and will host an extended line up of education equipment suppliers, inviting buyers and educators to take advantage of a forum for technology in education. GETEX- Education Equipment and Supply will also host the GETEX- ISTE Global Conference on Technology that will offer an opportunity for educators, school leaders, and policy makers to interact with and learn from education researchers, thought leaders and expert practitioners from the Gulf region and around the world.

Representing a large spectrum of industry sectors and positions in different experience tiers, GETEX Careers & Training 2008 wants to offer a one stop shop for senior students looking for access to the job market, and professionals looking for the next step up their career ladders. “The aim of GETEX- Careers & Training 2008 is to reduce the usual opportunity cost associated with gathering leads and following them up from both a recruiter and potential employee viewpoint. We are gathering a critical mass of recruiters and organizations seeking talent under one roof, and inviting professionals to take advantage of this opportunity. We are also hosting recruitment agencies and consultants to further facilitate the process,” says Godinho.