«ON Academy» to Discover Kuwaiti Youth Media Talents
- A new step in the path of potential national partnerships for youth
- A national program spanning five weeks, targeting youth aged 22 to 30
- A distinguished group of Kuwaiti media professionals and academics leads the training journey
- “ON Academy” integrates media, content creation, innovation, and financial literacy
- Practical challenges among participants to transform talent into career opportunities and sustainable income
- Nasser Al-Arfaj: “Our goal is not just content creation, but preparing a generation that understands the impact of words and images on society”
- Direct investment in Kuwaiti potential, transforming it into genuine professional and economic value
- Yaqoob Al-Baqer: “Empowering youth begins by equipping them with knowledge and skills within a comprehensive creative environment”
- Financial literacy is the foundation for the success of any talent or idea, and investing in youth is an investment in society’s future
Ooredoo Kuwait and National Bank of Kuwait (NBK) have launched the “ON Academy” program, as part of a strategic partnership between the two institutions aimed at discovering young Kuwaiti talents, developing their capabilities, and enabling 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 to invest in human capital, providing an environment that gives youth a real opportunity to discover their potential and develop their talents, in line with the rapid changes in the media, communications, and technology sectors, as well as the new opportunities created by the digital economy and content industry.
“ON Academy” runs for five weeks and targets Kuwaiti youth aged 22 to 30. Selected participants undergo a comprehensive training pathway designed to transition them from the stage of talent discovery to its professional development and utilization, ultimately empowering them to convert their talent into a viable career opportunity and a growing, sustainable financial gain.
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, while equipping them with 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 goes beyond theoretical lectures to place participants in a comprehensive 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.
The competition among participants fosters 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.
“ON Academy” places media ethics at the core of the training experience, considering it inseparable from skill and creativity. It aims 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.
The program also aims to instill the concept of responsible journalism among participants and raise their awareness of the impact of media messages on society, particularly in light of the rapid proliferation of social media platforms, artificial intelligence technologies, and the ease of producing and disseminating information. From this perspective, the program seeks to strike a balance between leveraging technological advancements and preserving the principles and values for which Kuwaiti media is known.
Through the program, Ooredoo Kuwait and NBK aim to cultivate a new generation that serves as an extension of pioneering and innovative Kuwaiti media, preserving its status and legacy while equipping participants with modern tools to keep pace with current developments and produce more impactful, professional content capable of reaching audiences both within Kuwait and abroad.
Commenting on the occasion, Nasser 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 merely a conventional training program, but a comprehensive journey that begins with talent discovery, followed by development and refinement, ultimately empowering individuals to transform their talents into genuine professional and economic value. We want every participant to understand how to use their talents professionally, and how to convert their ideas into impactful content, career opportunities, and sustainable income streams.”
Al-Arfaj added: “Talent alone is insufficient to produce a successful journalist or content creator; it must be coupled with knowledge, discipline, responsibility, and media ethics. Therefore, we have ensured that ethics form a core component of the program’s foundation, as our goal is not only to produce successful content, but also to contribute to shaping a generation that understands the impact of words, images, and the messages they convey to society.”
He continued: “We take pride in the rich heritage of Kuwaiti media and its pioneering role across the region. Through ON Academy, we aim for participants to serve as an extension of this media tradition, combining its authenticity and values with innovation, technology, and modern tools. Our partnership with NBK has provided the program with crucial integration, bridging media, innovation, and financial literacy, and offering young people a more holistic experience aligned with future demands.”
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 the bank’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 providing them with opportunities 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 is dedicated to helping participants understand how to manage the opportunities afforded by their skills, and to transform their ideas and talents into sustainable and growing ventures and career paths. Additionally, practical challenges among participants will help strengthen their teamwork, strategic thinking, and ability to deliver innovative solutions and ideas.”
He concluded: “At NBK, we believe that investing in youth is investing in the future of society, and that every talent holds significant potential when given the right opportunities for development. Through ON Academy, we strive to support participants with the knowledge, skills, and awareness needed to transform their talents and ideas into real opportunities for growth and success.”
He emphasized that engaging a select group of prominent Kuwaiti media professionals and academics enhances the program’s national value, enabling participants to benefit from diverse practical and academic expertise. He noted that the partnership between National Bank of Kuwait (NBK) and Ooredoo Kuwait exemplifies purposeful institutional collaboration aimed at delivering positive and sustainable impact on society.
The program concludes with a final project that allows participants to apply the knowledge and skills acquired over the five-week period, presenting their ideas and outputs in a professional manner. This reflects their development and ability to transition from the learning and talent-discovery phase to the application phase and opportunity creation.
The launch of “ON Academy” represents a new step in the trajectory 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 equipped with knowledge, skills, and professional ethics, capable of sustaining the progress of Kuwaiti media and enhancing its leadership amid the rapid developments shaping the sector.
