«ON Academy» Launches to Discover Kuwaiti Youth Media Talents

Ooredoo Kuwait and National Bank of Kuwait (NBK) have announced the launch of the “ON Academy” program, as part of a strategic partnership between the two institutions aimed at discovering young Kuwaiti talents, developing their capabilities, and empowering them to build promising career paths in media, content creation, and innovation. This is achieved through a professional training experience that combines knowledge, practical application, and competitive challenges.

The launch of the program reflects a shared vision between Ooredoo Kuwait and NBK, centered on investing in the Kuwaiti human capital and providing an environment that gives youth a genuine opportunity to discover and develop their talents, in line with the rapid changes occurring in the media, communications, and technology sectors, as well as the new opportunities created by the digital economy and content industry.

Extending over five weeks, the “ON Academy” program targets Kuwaiti youth aged between 22 and 30. Selected participants undergo a comprehensive training path designed to transition them from talent discovery to professional development and utilization, ultimately enabling them to transform their talents into viable career opportunities and sustainable income sources.

The program includes a diverse range of training tracks covering financial literacy, journalism, marketing, public relations, television and radio production, content creation, artificial intelligence, leadership, teamwork, and strategic relationship building. This diversity aims to provide participants with a holistic view of modern media work, linking creative aspects with the professional and financial skills necessary for success and sustainability.

The program’s sessions and workshops are led by a distinguished group of experts and lecturers, all Kuwaiti media professionals and academics. This ensures the transfer of accumulated national expertise to the new generation, introducing participants to real-world experiences in Kuwaiti media, alongside the latest knowledge and practices related to content creation, marketing, corporate communications, and modern technologies.

“ON Academy” is distinguished by its unconventional training methodology, which relies not only on theoretical lectures but immerses participants in an integrated practical and competitive experience. This includes applied workshops, weekly assignments, and specialized challenges among accepted participants. These challenges allow participants to test their ideas and skills, work in teams, and handle requirements that simulate the realities of media and professional work.

These challenges help foster initiative, creativity, and teamwork, while enhancing decision-making, time management, idea presentation, handling feedback, and continuous improvement. The program also allows for the evaluation of participants’ progress throughout the training period, helping them identify strengths and areas requiring further development.

The program primarily focuses on empowering participants to understand the professional and economic value of their talents, guiding them on how to build their professional identities, develop their ideas, and professionally market their services. It also provides them with the tools to transform their media and content creation capabilities into business ventures, job opportunities, and income sources, while strengthening their financial awareness and ability to manage and develop these opportunities in a studied and sustainable manner.

“ON Academy” places media work ethics at the core of the training experience, considering them inseparable from skill or creativity. The program seeks to build a generation of media professionals who possess awareness of professional and social responsibility, understanding the importance of credibility, accuracy, respect for privacy and intellectual property, fact-checking, and adherence to professional values when preparing and publishing content across various platforms.

Furthermore, the program aims to instill the concept of responsible media among participants, highlighting the impact of media messages on society, particularly in light of the rapid spread of social media platforms, artificial intelligence technologies, and the ease of producing and disseminating information. From this perspective, the program works to strike a balance between leveraging technological advancements and preserving the principles and values that have characterized Kuwaiti media.

Ooredoo Kuwait and NBK aim, through this program, to prepare a new generation that extends the legacy of pioneering and innovative Kuwaiti media, maintaining its status and heritage while possessing modern tools that enable it to keep pace with current developments and create more impactful, professional content capable of reaching audiences both within Kuwait and abroad.

Commenting on the occasion, Nasser Hamad Al-Arfaj, Director of Strategic and Public Relations at Ooredoo Kuwait, said: “ON Academy represents a direct investment in the potential of Kuwaiti youth. It is not a conventional training program, but a comprehensive journey that begins with talent discovery, followed by its development and refinement, culminating in empowering its owners to transform it into real professional and economic value. We want every participant to know how to use their talent professionally, and how to turn their ideas into impactful content, job opportunities, and income sources that can be built upon.”

Al-Arfaj added: “Talent alone is not enough to create a successful media professional or content creator; it must be coupled with knowledge, discipline, responsibility, and media work ethics. Therefore, we ensured that ethics are a key component of the program’s foundation, as our goal is not only to produce successful content, but also to contribute to preparing a generation that understands the impact of words, images, and messages on society.”

He continued: “We are proud of the rich heritage of Kuwaiti media and its pioneering role in the region. Through ON Academy, we aim for participants to be an extension of this media, combining its authenticity and values with innovation, technology, and modern tools. Our partnership with NBK has given the program significant integration, combining media, innovation, and financial literacy, offering youth a more comprehensive experience aligned with future requirements.”

For his part, Yaqoub Al-Baqer, Assistant Vice President of Public Relations and Events at NBK, stated: “The launch of ON Academy in partnership with Ooredoo Kuwait reflects NBK’s ongoing commitment to investing in Kuwaiti youth and providing programs that contribute to developing their capabilities and enhancing their readiness for the future. We believe that empowering youth begins by equipping them with knowledge and skills, and giving them the opportunity to apply what they learn in a practical environment that encourages creativity and initiative.”

Al-Baqer added: “Financial literacy is a fundamental element in the success of any talent or idea. Therefore, the program strives to help participants understand how to manage the opportunities provided by their skills, and transform their ideas and talents into sustainable and growing projects and career paths. Moreover, the practical challenges among participants will contribute to enhancing their ability to work in teams, think strategically, and present innovative solutions and ideas.”

He continued: “At NBK, we believe that investing in youth is investing in the future of society, and that every talent possesses great potential when given the right opportunity for development. Through ON Academy, we strive to support participants with the knowledge, skills, and awareness that help them transform their talents and ideas into real opportunities for growth and success.”

Al-Baqer emphasized that engaging a distinguished group of Kuwaiti media professionals and academics enhances the national value of the program, allowing participants to benefit from diverse practical and academic experiences. He noted that the partnership between NBK and Ooredoo Kuwait represents a model of cooperative effort aimed at achieving positive and sustainable impact on society.

The program concludes with a final project that allows participants to apply the knowledge and skills acquired during the five weeks, presenting their ideas and outputs professionally. This reflects their development and ability to transition from the learning and talent discovery phase to the application and opportunity creation phase.

The launch of “ON Academy” represents a new step in the path of national partnerships aimed at empowering youth, by combining the expertise of Ooredoo Kuwait and NBK within a specialized training platform that places Kuwaiti talent at the heart of the development process. It contributes to building a conscious, responsible, and innovative media generation that possesses knowledge, skill, and professional ethics, and is capable of continuing the journey of Kuwaiti media and enhancing its leadership amid the rapid developments witnessed by the sector.