@DubaiPoliceHQ Dubai Police accredits the certificate of the (SM4A) for their cadres and determines the first regionally nominated group for this Program.

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.