ITEP in drive to spread IT literacy among all sections of the community

The new strategy comes in line with His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and UAE Defence Minister's vision of knowledge-based development for the UAE.

Based at its new headquarters in the Knowledge Village campus in the Dubai Technology and Media Free Zone, ITEP's new programmes are adopting a more holistic approach for raising IT literacy with a broader focus on the community. While the educational sector remains its core focus, ITEP is now also increasingly targeting the government sector as well as teachers and parents.

"As the UAE seeks to transform itself into a knowledge society, we need to ensure that our society is equipped with the information technology (IT) skills to embrace and take advantage of these changes," said Ahmad Bin Byat, Director General of the Dubai Technology and Media Free Zone. "Raising IT literacy levels will also be crucial to our success in the new knowledge-based economy which is characterized by rapidly changing technologies and increasing international competition. ITEP has already played a commendable role in raising IT literacy that enhances our society's ability to keep pace with new changes," he added.

"ITEP's presence in the Knowledge Village campus will enable it to build the key relationships needed to fulfil its mission," Bin Byat continued. "From KV, ITEP will not only have easy access to a vast educational and learning community but also to major IT and Media companies. Besides it can avail of an advanced technology infrastructure that is among the world's best," he said.

ITEP's role in inculcating IT literacy in the country has been steadily evolving over the past few years. Following its establishment, ITEP targeted higher secondary school students. Its programmes evoked a tremendous response from students.

"ITEP's programmes for school students are aimed at imparting fundamental IT skills that will enhance learning opportunities, motivation, and achievement for students," said Dr. Abdulla Al Karam, Director of ITEP. At the same time, it prepares them to acquire the IT knowledge needed to pursue successful careers later in their lives," he added.

"Over the last four years, ITEP has been successful in training 60,750 people, including 52,000 students," continued Dr. Al Karam. "This means an average of 13,000 students every year. In an effort to take the programmes beyond the school curriculum, ITEP also held several boot camps for an average of 1000 students every summer. Since 2002, over 3000 students have attended its boot camps, some of which have focused on specialised and advanced topics like programming and networking," he said.

ITEP's support has been instrumental in raising IT skills among UAE students. Awards won by UAE students in international and region IT competition are testimony to this. In April 2002, a website that four young students from the UAE designed with ITEP's support won first prize in a pan-Arab web designing contest organised by a Jordanian organisation.

Following the success of the higher secondary programmes, ITEP extended its focus to higher education students, starting with the Dubai Islamic College. About 1,900 students of the College were provided IT education during the academic year 2003-2004.

In an effort to support the UAE government's increased focus on electronic government, ITEP further broadened the coverage of its programmes to cover government organisations providing public services. ITEP has today provided IT training to 3320 personnel of Dubai Police Department. IT courses provided by ITEP also formed part of the curriculum designed for 600 officers and cadets of the Dubai Police Academy. The latest organization to be covered by ITEP programmes is Dubai Immigration, 50 employees of which were provided IT training in July this year.

To ensure that its programmes provide real benefits, ITEP has forged relationships with Cisco and Computer Associates to provide certifications to those who attend its courses.

In what is another step in its evolution, ITEP is now designing new programmes to raise IT literacy among parents and teachers and people with special needs. "Just as we provided IT education for students in the past, we are looking to expand so that we can bring our programmes to other members of our society including parents, teachers and people with special needs," said Dr. Al Karam. "We are looking forward to designing different programmes that meet these individual requirements.