- ICDL tapping academic partnerships to enhance computer literacy training throughout the Gulf
ICDL GCC Foundation, the governing body and certification authority of the International Computer Driving Licence (ICDL) program in the Gulf region, is conducting two Certified Training Professional (CTP) workshops at Michigan State University (MSU) Dubai as part of the partnership agreement signed between the two parties in October 2009, marking the establishment of a new ICDL Certified Training and Test Centre at MSU Dubai. The workshops started on January 30
th and will end on 4
th February 2010, with 26 participants from all GCC Countries.
Through the CTP program, the Foundation aims to certify the competence of ICDL trainers in training performance, lesson plan development, and course evaluation for accredited institutes across the Gulf region. The Qualified CTP candidates selected for the workshops have been ICDL certified and are technically proficient in all seven modules of the ICDL program. They have also acquired considerable training or teaching experience in delivering ICDL or IT training.
Mr. Jamil Ezzo, Director General of ICDL GCC Foundation, said: “This is an excellent follow-through to the agreement we made with MSU Dubai, recently. We consider the educational sector a vital partner in advancing our IT literacy goals throughout the region, especially those that adopt global best practices such as MSU Dubai. In the same manner that MSU is renowned for its substantial economic impact in its home state in the US, we want the Dubai branch to gain prominence as a major source of world-class information and communications technology knowledge and skills in the region.”
The CTP program covers non-end user certification designed specifically for ICDL trainers and is mandated in the ICDL GCC Foundation’s over 1,000 regional training centres. In addition to the CTP sessions, the Foundation and MSU Dubai are also collaborating on the introduction of a new ICT curriculum which will be offered both in Arabic and English.
Ms. Myra Khattab, Program Manager at MSU Dubai added: “Technology is rightly recognized as a cornerstone for the Gulf’s continued economic, commercial and social growth and development. We are delighted to host the ICDL CTP workshops and we believe that through our ICDL programs, we will be able to raise awareness across society and our students about the integral role of ICT in the study environment, the workplace and daily lives, as well. Our partnership with ICDL will also help enable us to address concerns about the ability of local talent and expertise to keep up with the region’s rapidly expanding ICT landscape.”
ICDL, the world's largest vendor-neutral end-user computer skills certification, is recognized as the global benchmark in developing IT literacy. The program provides certification for fundamental IT skills such as word processing, file management and internet use. It is endorsed by education ministries, universities and government organisations in more than 168 countries and is available in over 48 languages, including Arabic. The ICDL GCC Foundation is one of the global program’s most productive regional arms.
