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Industry Survey shows Increased Demand for e-Learning to Help Address Skills Gap in the Middle East

Orient Planet Academy Announces Online Course Dates for Q4 2016
UAE, September 18th, 2016 – Demand for e-learning in the Middle East continues to expand to address the challenges of skills gap in the region. According to the Middle East Skills Gap Survey released this year, the market in the region is in dire need for qualified personnel. This is especially the case with vacancies in senior-level positions, as 70 per cent of respondents confirmed the difficulty of finding candidates with the necessary skills and knowledge to fill the positions. E-learning is a vital tool that can be used to address this issue being accessible to people from all walks of life and presented at a lower cost.

 E-learning has also been proven to be effective, with studies showing that online courses increase retention rates up to 60 per cent in comparison to face-to-face training, which only registers an 8 to 10 per cent retention rate.

In recognition of its benefits and to address the needs of the market, Orient Planet Academy, the first online PR and Communications Academy in the Middle East, has announced its enrollment dates for the last quarter of 2016. The schedule was developed to meet the Arab World’s growing demand for e-learning segment and the popularity of the Academy’s courses. Interested learners can enroll for the October 13, November 17 and December 8, 2016 batch, depending on their convenience.
Nidal Abou Zaki, Managing Director, Orient Planet Group, said: “Orient Planet Academy has been a frontrunner in the Arab World’s move to integrate e-learning in its development. We have especially designed these courses to help individuals expand their skill set and explore new professional opportunities. We have had strong positive feedback from people across the region. We remain committed towards equipping people across the Middle East with the necessary knowledge, skills and expertise according to international standards to help raise the benchmark for global excellence.”
The Academy aims to address gaps in the market by working with the Irish Academy to offer internationally recognized certificate courses in Public Relations (PR), Marketing, Journalism, Event Management and English Grammar. It also offers localized Arabic courses in Online Marketing and PR as well as a Diploma in Event Management. Each course takes 10 to 12 weeks and students are required to complete one module every week and pass all requirements before a certificate is awarded.
Orient Planet Academy is a direct collaboration between Orient Planet, one of the Middle East’s most rapidly growing PR marketing and communications consultancies, and the Irish Academy of Public Relations, an Ireland-based international online education provider of courses in communications disciplines. Orient Planet Academy’s courses have been exclusively developed by the Irish Academy to suit the needs of individuals within the Arab World.
For more information about the Academy’s courses, visit www.opacademy.com.
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New Accounting and Finance Qualification Courses Made Available for the First Time in UAE

Landmark Partnership Makes PAC Professionals & Accountancy Centre First Training Provider of AAT Qualifications in Dubai
Dubai, UAE, August 10th, 2016 – AAT (the Association of Accounting Technicians), a globally recognized player in the accounting and finance sector, has joined forces with PAC Professionals & Accountancy Center Dubai to deliver AAT’s highly respected and internationally recognized accounting and finance courses in the UAE for the first time.

With over 130,000 members in more than 90 countries, courses offered by AAT are not only internationally recognized but are based on practical, real-world accounting knowledge that any student can put to use from day one. AAT is a leader in the finance and accountancy industry, providing practical workplace qualifications for finance staff across the world. It awards around 90 per cent of all vocational qualifications in accounting, and is sponsored by professional accounting bodies such as the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy, the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales, the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants, and the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland.
Under the terms of the agreement, individuals in the region seeking to take up these prestigious AAT courses in accounting or bookkeeping may now enroll at PAC Dubai.
PAC Dubai is the latest strategic addition to over 500 training providers of AAT accounting and finance courses across the world. These sought-after professional courses are mainly designed to effectively reinforce the capabilities of any organization’s finance team, and have been developed for anyone eager to boost their business skills and start out on a career in finance.
Rob Alder, Head of Business Development at AAT, said: “We are very excited to be working closely to provide PAC Professionals & Accountancy Centre with all the support and guidance it needs to efficiently deliver AAT qualifications in the region. We are eager to work together for the benefit of our students and to invest in their futures. We will help them move up the ladder or even launch a whole new career in accountancy by equipping them with the right expertise, in-demand qualifications, and confidence needed to succeed in today’s highly competitive industry. Given PAC Dubai’s impeccable track record, we are confident that we will be able to achieve our set objectives and targets.”
Mian Ahmad Farhan, President at PAC Dubai says: “AAT provides a wide range of practical qualifications for beginners in accounting to help them build a bright career. The beauty of AAT qualifications is that they cover practical accounting topics and are also equivalent to formal academic studies which are recognized in the UAE as well as around the world. AAT qualifications can play a vital role in helping UAE Nationals hold positions in the Public and Private sector.”
For more information about how AAT courses at PAC Dubai can help anyone wanting to begin a career in finance, visit www.pacdubai.com  
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University of Salford Delivers Disaster Management Training in UAE

United Arab Emirates, November 15th, 2015 – The University of Salford, United Arab Emirates (UAE), has joined forces with the Abu Dhabi Police to train and educate specialist Emirati agencies in leadership and disaster management.

In collaboration with the police force, experts from the University of Salford delivered a specialist workshop entitled ‘Achieving Leadership in Disaster Management’. The session gave relevant organisations and stakeholders from across the UAE the opportunity to learn, discuss and debate the best way to handle disasters in the region. These situations could range from natural disasters such as an earthquake to man-made incidents like an oil or gas explosion or terrorist attack.
The UAE is one of the fastest growing nations in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, both in population size and economic growth. This rapid expansion has seen significant changes to the country’s infrastructure and built environment. These changes would be heavily impacted by any natural disaster or man-made emergency.
The event, which was opened by the University’s new Vice-Chancellor, Professor Helen Marshall, and Chair of the Salford UAE Advisory Board, Dr Alaa Garad, was backed and attended by The National Emergency Crisis and Disaster Management Authority (NCEMA).
The NCEMA is the body responsible for regulating and coordinating all efforts of emergency, crisis and disaster management in Abu Dhabi. It is also responsible for the development of a national plan for responding to emergencies, working under the supervision of the Supreme Council for National Security.
Issues covered included three specific areas of disaster management at a regional and international level. These were ‘Collaborative Risk Assessment Environment in Disaster Management’; ‘The Strategic Approach to Emergency Preparedness in the UAE’, and ‘Community Centred Disaster Management within UAE: Challenges & Opportunities’.
The workshop sessions were delivered by academic experts from the University of Salford’s internationally renowned School of the Built Environment. The School is recognised as one the best in the UK and globally ranked in the top 40 by the prestigious QS World University Rankings. It works closely with professional institutions such as the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS); The Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB); The Chartered Institute of Architectural Technologists (CIAT) and The Royal Institute of British Architect (RIBA)
The academics were:
  • Professor Vian Ahmed, Professor in Built Environment and Director of Postgraduate Research Studies at School of the Built Environment
  • Dr Aziz Zeeshan, Programme Leader for the MSc in Construction Management
  • Professor Terrence Fernando, Scientific Director of the THINKlab

The academics worked in collaboration with representatives and stakeholders from police forces across the UAE to deliver the workshop.

The workshop was also attended by stakeholders from the UAE Space Agency, the country’s Ministry of Defense and the senior representatives from the gas and petroleum sectors. The industry and government figures were joined by academics from Abu Dhabi, Khalifa, Sharjah and Zayed universities.
Hasan Altug, Regional Director, Middle East,  at the University of Salford, said: “The University is committed to building long-term partnerships in the UAE and developing new academic and professional collaborations in education and industry across the region, and this includes going beyond the usual industry, education and policy areas to more niche, but equally important, sectors such as disaster management.”
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Dubai Maritime Training Center Establishes New Standards of Maritime Vocational Training

An Initiative of Dubai Maritime Creativity Lab
Innovative professional programs aimed at enhancing human resource investment and solidifying Dubai’s leading position in local and global maritime industry
Dubai, United Arab Emirates, October 17th, 2015 – The Dubai Maritime City Authority, the government authority charged with regulating, coordinating and supervising all aspects of Dubai’s maritime sector, has lauded the operations of the Dubai Maritime Training Centre which represents a valuable addition to the initiatives aimed at enhancing the performance, safety and competitiveness of the local maritime sector while also promoting the emirate as a leading global maritime hub. The Dubai Maritime Training Centre is an initiative developed by the Dubai Maritime Creativity Lab, which was launched earlier by DMCA. The centre work revolves around supporting the government’s efforts to introduce and position Dubai as a safe and sustainable maritime hub via the implementation of comprehensive set of world-class workshops and training programs.
H.E. Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem, Chairman of Dubai Ports, Customs and Free Zone Corporation and President of DMCA said, “The Dubai Maritime Training Centre represents an important step into achieving our vision of fully developing our maritime human resources segment, which is deemed as an essential element in promoting Dubai as a global maritime hub while also helping bolster the country’s economic sector and addressing its future needs. Implementing the centre’s training programs will allow us to equip a generation of human resources that can continue the current development of the local maritime sector and promote the emirate as a regional and international pioneer maritime center, in line with the vision and directives of the wise leadership.”
The Dubai Maritime Training Center is one of DMCA’s quality-focused initiatives, which aims to promote Dubai as an international maritime center by focusing on exchanging the latest industry information, introducing the latest practices and organizing international exhibitions, conferences and events, as well as improving training and education directed to those concerned with maritime matters. Considered as a leading drive for the development of human resource investment within the maritime sector, the Dubai Maritime Training Centre aims to collaborate with the best experts and pioneers to design and implement integrated training programs that address rapid international and regional changes and promote Dubai as a leading destination for maritime training and an attractive business environment for leading international maritime companies.
Amer Ali, Executive Director, DMCA, said, “The workshops and training courses introduced by the centre have been created based on highly accurate and comprehensive methodology, industry knowledge exchange and the integration of theoretic maritime education and practical training—ensuring highly positive results. DMCA has initiated a wide-scale plan to renovate and update training facilities and provide it with the latest world-class technologies and equipment in order to achieve the objectives of the Dubai Maritime Training Centre for the optimal investment in human resources. We are preparing a series of training programs specifically tailored to equip floating restaurant employees and owners of jet skis and leisure boats with the latest information and practical competency needed to insure highest safety levels. We are committed to expand the range of training programs to include all the needs of water sports enthusiasts and marine craft operation managers as well.”
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The Petroleum Institute Now an Official IELTS Testing Venue

The Petroleum Institute and British Council Sign Joint Partnership
Abu Dhabi, UAE, September 13th, 2015 – Taking its mission of development and modernisation forward, the Petroleum Institute University and Research Centre agreed recently with the British Council to make the university an accredited place to hold the IELTS test, starting from the month of September 2015.
The aim is to provide students at the university with the convenience of applying for the IELTS test within the Petroleum Institute campus in Abu Dhabi. The Petroleum Institute has a goal of becoming a world-class institution in both engineering education and energy industry research. The institution currently has over 1900 undergraduate and graduate students, over 200 faculty members, and has quickly become a leading teaching and research institution in the Middle East region.
The agreement was signed at the headquarters of the Petroleum Institute in the presence of representatives from The Petroleum Institute and the British Council, UAE. Dr. Thomas Hochstettler, President of the Petroleum Institute signed on behalf of Petroleum Institute and Mr. Marc Jessel, Country Director, British Council UAE on behalf of the British Council.
On this occasion Dr. Thomas Hochstettler, President of the Petroleum Institute said: “The MOU marks a significant milestone for us at the Petroleum Institute.  This agreement will most assuredly facilitate the development of our students as productive, articulate contributors to the culture and prosperity of the nation.  We welcome with enthusiasm this opportunity to partner with the British Council for our mutual benefit in the future”.
Dr. Murray R. Gray, PI Senior Vice President Academics & Provost said: “The Petroleum Institute is committed to preparing its graduates for service to the UAE and for international success. They need a high level of competency in English, and the British Council offers us the best tools for judging their ability to read, write, speak and listen. This MOU will enable us to integrate language teaching with testing in a seamless way to give our students the best launch possible for their academic careers.”
Dr. Muna Balfaqeeh, Director of Academic Bridge Program Said: “As the Director of the Academic Bridge program, I am very proud that this agreement will expand our collaboration with the British Council, and make the Petroleum Institute a certified venue for language testing.”
Mr. Marc Jessel, Country Director UAE praised the Petroleum Institute on the occasion and said, “The British Council is honoured to have signed this partnership with the Petroleum Institute that will provide students from the university with the internationally recognised and accepted IELTS qualification.  This partnership represents our continued commitment of supporting the leading Higher Education institutions in the UAE, by providing qualifications that recognise their ability to communicate in English, which is becoming a valuable 21st Century skill sought after by more and more international employers. “He further added, “British Council’s IELTS is the world’s most popular English language proficiency test for higher education and global migration, with over two million tests taken in the last year alone.”
IELTS is now accepted by more than 9,000 organizations in 135 countries around the world, including educational institutions, employers, governments, immigration authorities and professional bodies.
About Petroleum Institute (PI)
The Petroleum Institute University and Research Center (PI) was established in Abu Dhabi, capital of the United Arab Emirates in 2001 with a goal of becoming a world-class institution in both engineering education and energy industry research. PI currently has over 1900 undergraduate and graduate students, over 200 faculty, and has quickly become a leading teaching and research institution in the Middle East region. The PI’s sponsors and affiliates include the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) and four major international oil companies: BP, Japan Oil Development Company, Shell and Total. The campus has modern instructional laboratories and classroom facilities, and will soon host a major research center, the PI Research Center (PIRC) scheduled to open later in 2015.
For more information, visit www.pi.ac.ae
About the British Council
The British Council is the UK’s international organisation for cultural relations and educational opportunities. We create international opportunities for the people of the UK and other countries and build trust between them worldwide.
We work in more than 100 countries and our 8,000 staff – including 2,000 teachers – work with thousands of professionals and policy makers and millions of young people every year by teaching English, sharing the arts and delivering education and society programmes.
We are a UK charity governed by Royal Charter. A core publicly-funded grant provides 20 per cent of our turnover which last year was £864 million. The rest of our revenues are earned from services which customers around the world pay for, such as English classes and taking UK examinations, and also through education and development contracts and from partnerships with public and private organisations. All our work is in pursuit of our charitable purpose and supports prosperity and security for the UK and globally. 
For more information, please visit: www.britishcouncil.org. You can also keep in touch with the British Council through http://twitter.com/britishcouncil and http://blog.britishcouncil.org/.
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ITIL – Foundation Certification Training in Dubai

GraspSkills is introducing ITIL V3 foundation certification course.
 
Workshop city: Dubai (United Arab Emirates)
Workshop Date: 23-24 Oct-15 || Early bird date: 23-Sep-15
Course Overview: ITIL (IT Infrastructure Library) is globally recognized worldwide as best practice IT management service. The demands of high quality IT services has increased tremendously over the time in both commercial and non-proprietary organizations, thus, ITIL being the best practice IT service management, used by many organizations globally. More Details…
ITIL Foundation training and certification:course has become pertinent these days as the business have become more dependent on IT to meet their business requirements. ITIL Foundation Training covers ITIL basics and terminology which is a pre-requisite to all other ITIL high end qualifications.

This course equips a professional with basic aspects, concepts and terminologies of ITIL that are used in the ITIL Service Lifecycle. ITIL Foundation training includes the linkages between Lifecycle stages.

Foundation Level:
The purpose of the ITIL Foundation certificate in IT Service Management is to certify that you have gained knowledge of the ITIL terminology, structure and basic concepts and have comprehended the core principles of ITIL practices for Service Management. More Details…
After completing the ITIL foundation course and exam, you will have gained knowledge and understanding in the following areas:
  • Service management as a practice
  • The ITIL service lifecycle
  • Generic concepts and definitions
  • Key principles and models
  • Selected processes
  • Selected functions
  • Selected roles
  • Technology and architecture
  • Competence and training
Standard course fee: AED 4190, Early bird fee: AED 3490 (Exam fee included) More Details…
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PMP Certification Training in Dubai and Abu Dhabi

UAE, October 2014 – PMP certification training in Dubai and Abu Dhabi. This training would be delivered by a global PMI REP (Registered Training Provider) and comes with the required 35 contact hour certificate.
Training Schedule:
November 2014 : 3-day PMP Prep Bootcamp: Nov 28, 29, 30 December 2014 : 3-day PMP Prep Bootcamp: Dec 19, 20, 21
Special training fee for pre-booking is USD 699.
Pre-book your enrollments for November and December on or before 25th October’14 and şave USD 200 on USD 899.
Please respond if you are interested in this program. Appreciate if you could pass this on to others who may be interested in this training program.
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Workshop on Microsoft Project Professional 2010/13 in Dubai

In this October, GraspSkills invites you to attend its Two Days Hands-on Training Workshop on Microsoft Project 2010/13. View more
Workshop City: Dubai, UAE
Workshop Date: 17-18 Oct-2014

Overview:

The workshop serves as a practical platform to learn the technicalities and working of Microsoft Project 2013 and focuses at making the participants learn the application of MS Project 2013 software towards effectual project management.
MS Project 2013 is designed to assist a project manager in developing a plan, assigning resources to tasks, tracking progress, managing the budget and analysing workloads.
Invest 2 Days in this training – Learn to unlock the full potential of the latest Project Management Software from Microsoft i.e. MS Project 2013. View more
Benefits of MS Project
  • Improved estimation
  • Greater control
  • Easier tracking
  • Better collaboration
  • Measuring results and comparing projects
Key Takeaways
  • Easy-to-understand Reference Handbook
  • Free MS Project 2013 Software – Trial Version
  • 24/7 Dedicated Customer Support
  • 45 PDUs claimable with PMI
  • 5 mock tests
  • Business tea and lunch
  • 120 days online training
  • View more
Standard course price: AED 3390
Special Discount: 15% off on Standard Price
GraspSkills: # 56 Lawrence Road, East Ham, London UK E6 1JN
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Effective Business Case Writing Workshop

We, at GraspSkills are pleased to invite you to join our upcoming Instructor led 1 day workshop on Business Case Writing.

Location: Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Program date: October 11, 2014
Course overview:

It is generally acknowledged that the Business Case is probably the most critical document to be found in the Project Management Plan. Despite this there remains considerable confusion over why it is required, its content and who should create, approve and maintain it. Accordingly Business Cases are all too often poorly prepared, if indeed they are prepared at all.
The purpose of this workshop is to develop a detailed understanding of this critical document. The workshop will ensure delegates can create and use the Business Case, in practical terms, to ensure the right projects are approved and also guide their actions in effectively managing any size or complexity of project. 
Course Includes:
  • Introduction, Overview, Examples of scenarios
  • 7 step process model for business case writing
  • Cost & benefit analysis
  • Typical business case template & checklist
  • How to prepare business case?
  • Business case writing skills, Trends, practices, principles, Errors
You will get:
  • Hard copy of course material
  • PMI approved 8 PDU/Contact hours certificate
  • Business Tea & Lunch
  • Post training support
Location: Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Program date: October 11, 2014
Duration: 1 day (8 hours)
Program fee: AED 1990 (Early price) per person will expire on 01-Oct-14 (Standard price: AED 2590)
Next schedule: December 13, 2014
More details: BusinessCaseWritingpath
Contact person: Khawaja Ali
Contact numbers:  +44-20-3393-1350/ 1-919-238-9981/ +61-290-370-232
Looking for an in house, please feel free to contact us.
Grasp Skills: # 56 Lawrence Road, East Ham, London UK E6 1JN
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Al Ansari Exchange Donates 250,000 AED to Al Noor Training Center for Children with Special Needs

Funds to Enable Development of Enhanced Facilities in Providing Multi-disciplinary Programs for Special Needs Children
UAE, July 19th, 2014 – In line with its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) program, Al Ansari Exchange, the UAE-based foreign exchange and worldwide money transfer company, has donated AED 250,000 to Al Noor Training Center for Children with Special Needs, a Dubai-based non-profit organization for children with Special needs between the ages of 3 and 18. The donation will enable the center to offer enhanced and improved facilities in providing multi-disciplinary programs for the nurturing and development of its children with special needs.

Rashed Ali Al Ansari, General Manager, Al Ansari Exchange, said: “Children with special needs are an integral part of our society and should be given equal opportunities to nurture their talent and develop their abilities. We are confident that our little contribution to the Al Noor Training Center will help make a difference in the lives of children with special needs. Al Ansari Exchange is very sincere about its CSR agenda and rolls our socially-relevant initiatives, as it firmly believes in making a valuable contribution to the society.”
“We highly appreciate the donation made by Al Ansari Exchange, which will contribute in a positive way towards the development of children with special neeeds. We offer training programs for  children so that they can become financially independent individuals since we depend on corporate donations to run our organization. This kind gesture reflects Al Ansari Exchange’s care and concern for individuals with special needs and will serve as an example for other corporates to support such causes,” concluded Dr. Mohammad Al Redha, Board Member,
Al Noor Training Center for Children with Special Needs.
Located in Al Barsha area of Dubai, Al Noor Training Center for Children with Special Needs has received the ISO 9001:2008 certification for ‘Educational, Rehabilitative and Therapy Services for Individuals with Special Needs through Assessments, Intervention and Training.’ Run under the auspices of the Ministry of Social Affairs, the special school provides children with special needs, regardless of their background, the same opportunity through professional training and care to realize their potential and integrate them into the wider community.
About Al Ansari Exchange
Al Ansari Exchange is one of the leading remittance and foreign exchange service providers in the UAE. Founded in 1966, the company has established its presence through an extensive network of more than 130 conveniently located branches across the country to bring its services closer to its customers.
Al Ansari Exchange has established strategic partnerships with leading banking and financial institutions around the globe to reinforce its commitment to provide key financial services to its growing customer base. The company constantly introduces exclusive offerings and reward schemes for its customers, while maintaining a truly unique banking experience through its wide range of technology-driven financial services that cater to specific customer needs. Al Ansari Exchange employs a highly qualified and professional team of over 2,200 multinational employees, who serve more than 2 million multi-national customers per month in accordance with consistent level of service experience that meets and exceeds customer expectations.
In addition to remittance and foreign exchange services, Al Ansari Exchange also offers a host of other ancillary financial services, including bill payments, credit card encashment, international mobile top-up, investment and saving schemes, loyalty programs, e-exchange, payroll solutions and corporate cash collection services.