An internationally accredited Program
aiming at empowering individuals to efficiently, safely and responsibly use
social network websites
The General
Training Department in Dubai Police has announced defining the first group of
candidates on the regional level for the Social Media for All (SM4A) Program in
cooperation with the ICDL GCC Foundation. This Program will be executed by the
National Institute for Vocational Education as of 16th June to 4th July 2013 in
the headquarters of the Institute in the Academic City in Dubai. This group,
consisting of 25 of Dubai Police cadres, is one in a series that will
successively start the Program following Eid El Fetr.
The official spokesman of the General Training
Department said: "This event accentuates the message of Dubai Police
aiming at developing their functional structure through enhancing efficiency
and developing professional performance. Acquired the necessary skills and
knowledge, Dubai Police staff will be enabled to keep up with the developments
occurring in the information technology field."
He also added: "This Program is paramount
for us as it is executed in light of our support to the directives of Dubai
Government concerning utilizing digital applications geared towards enhancing a
unified strategy designed to achieve the Smart Government program. Moreover, we
are so proud of being the first group of the GCC countries participating in
this workshop and we believe that this certificate program is a useful addition
to our message in Dubai Police through directing our employees to have full
responsibility towards protecting and securing society as a whole and the field
of electronics in particular."
Jamil Ezzo, Director General of the ICDL GCC
Foundation, said: "Unrestricted access to smart devices and open
communication between our children and the internet have become easier than any
time in the past. Striving to raise the level of awareness of responsible and
safe usage of social media sites, our Institution has launched a new initiative
designed to achieve cooperation with all entities to enforce laws and
disseminate education in the region to be accessible to the public.
Furthermore, developing the skills of Dubai Police workforce related to social
media is paving the way to close cooperation as we can take part in raising the
level of knowledge and vigilance in schools not only among children but among
parents and teachers as well."
In the same context, Dr Nagi al Mahdi, CEO of the
National Institute for Vocational Education , commented: "This Program
aims to cultivate the Dubai Police personnel and enable them to acquire the
practical knowledge and skills required for using and applying the technologies
of social networking websites and information security to their work. This can
exceedingly strengthen the methods followed to preserve the highest level of
professional performance by which Dubai Police is characterized." Dr Nagi
al Mahdi also expressed his wishes saying," I hope all other authorities
and entities in Dubai Government takes Dubai Police as an example and approve
that Program for their employees as it focuses on providing the necessary
knowledge and awareness enabling users to have full and effective protection
for their families and work."
The ICDL GCC Foundation, an organization that
promotes digital skills and cyber safety for-all across the GCC and Iraq, has
announced adopting the Social Media for All International Certificate in
mid-March, 2013. This Program aims to empower all categories in society to
acquire practical skills and knowledge related to using social networking
websites for social, educational, cognitive and insititutional purposes. The
Foundation has played a major consulting role to develop the content of the new
Program by virtue of its vast experience in disseminating the skills of
information technology and communication in the region. The Program is geared
to provide services to both government and education sectors and achieve
individual needs to learn social media applications and tools, network
communication platforms and blogs including Facebook, Youtube, Twitter, Google
+ and LinkedIn for social, cognitive, educational and professional purposes.
The SM4A Program is developed in line with Ofqual
Qualification number 601/0393/0, ProQual Level 2 Certificate in
Understanding the Safe Use of Online and Social Media Platforms (QCF).
This program is divided into three main modules: Social Media, Safe Online and
Search Online. The Social Media module concentrates on providing the candidates
with new skills on using the social networking websites and blog sites to
enrich the professional and personal knolwedge, creating new employment and
commercial opportunities and gaining knowledge and skills related to safe and
effective use of social media. The Safe Online module focuses on boosting the
candidates’' skills and knowledge of safe and responsible usage of social
networking websites.As for the third module “Search Online” assists in
establishing clear search values queries enabling the candidates to effectively
search for the information they need. As for the third module, Electronic
Security, it The Social Media for All Program has been adopted in accordance
with the standards of Qualification and Credit Framework regulated by Ofqual,
the regulatory body for awarding organizations in England, Wales and Northern
Ireland
The Social Media for all Program is provided
through selected entities from the network of the centres approved by the ICDL
GCC Foundation including schools, universities, training centres and government
organizations depending on interactive training methodology. The Program is
accredited and authenticated by the ICDL Foundation to ensure applying the
international standards.
