WRDC & Microsoft partner to expand 'Women in Technology' programme

In a joint meeting attended by top officials of WRDC, GWU, IIE, Microsoft Gulf and the Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI), the organizations developed a roadmap for future collaboration for other initiatives in Al Gharbia.

The future collaborations will include programmes designed not only for women but for men, youth and students.

This collaborative effort follows closely with WRDC's recent announcement of the Professional Development Network for women in Al Gharbia.

The WRDC and Microsoft partnership aims to provide further momentum to boost the IT development skills of all residents across the region.

WRDC will be working in close collaboration with their partners to design and add new courses for Al Gharbia's community, providing them with the latest technological advancements and educating them on how to use such technologies and applications.

Discussions were also held on extending the WIT programme from Madinat Zayed and Mirfa to include Ghayathi and Sila as part of an expansion plan for future.

Moving forward, Microsoft Gulf will provide the curriculum for IT courses and training programmes, besides providing access to software and e-services.

Commenting on the partnership, H.E. Mohamed Hamad Bin Azzan Al Mazrouei, Director General of WRDC, said:

"The partnership between WRDC, GWU, IIE, MEPI and Microsoft Gulf is a vital step towards achieving sustainable development within Al Gharbia. The partnership is aimed at boosting the region's IT skills - as an important component in today's society - we are doing this by providing first class quality education and training to our region's residents. We want to ensure that our people are provided with the same opportunities to enhance their skills than anywhere else in the world."

In addition to the current training courses that are already provided through the Professional Development Network, there will be training courses offered in website design and IT solutions.

WRDC's Director General added: "WRDC endeavors to provide its residents with a higher quality of life by improving infrastructure, creating employment opportunities and enhancing the region's business environment. Our main objective is to provide a higher quality of life for the people residing in Al Gharbia while ensuring overall economic growth. The latest partnership will make the residents of Al Gharbia much more employable by providing them with the latest technological advances and job skills."

The partnership between WRDC, Microsoft, IIE, MEPI and GWU will play an increasingly significant role as the project unfolds in its next phase.

WRDC announced the establishment of the Professional Development Network in October 2008, which aims to provide a major impetus to women entrepreneurship in Al Gharbia.

The Network focuses on shaping career options and creating an alumni group for women with the support of General Women's Union.

The Network forms a vital part of the 'Women In Technology' programme and provides training to enhance development skills for women in the region.

The initiative aims to help maintain contact with graduates and provide suitable job opportunities for them, in addition to promoting the program among different groups in the local society and in government and private institutions.