Al Tayer confirmed as IHR Arabia conference patron

The event will be held at the JW Marriott in Dubai on October 9 - 10, 2004 and this is the third year in succession that he has agreed to be patron of the event.

The theme for this year's event is Maximising Human Capital and conference organisers say that in order to maximise the potential - and value - of human capital in Arabia, companies must undergo a transformation in the employment, deployment, development and evaluation of the workforce.

According to conference organiser Abdulqader al Khaja, CEO of the Dubai-based learning and training consultancy knowledgenetwork (knet), the minister's support adds further weight to the needs of the human resources sector in the region.

He said: "The issue of the management of human capital in this region is becoming ever more pressing. Up to 20 million Arabs are jobless in a total labour force of 100 million. A rapidly growing and youthful population means that Arab economies must be able to accommodate some 3 million new workers into the labour force every year. "

The authors' of 2002 Arab Human Development Report call for 'the market to adapt to human needs, and for people to adapt to market needs', suggesting that this is one step to a 'win-win' scenario for regional development.

The report, published by the New York-based UNDP, indicates that there is a real economic danger in the loss of human capital in the region as people opt out for a 'better deal' in international markets.

Khaja explained: "This potential loss of intellect and resources compounds the challenges that the region already faces. People resources are as critical as capital resources in ensuring stability and the ability to compete in the world arena."

Topics tabled for discussion at the conference include human resources, recruiting and retaining the right human capital, integrated competency based training, assessment, professional development, workplace non-academic training, Nationalisation, and investment in people for the commercial success of the company.

Khaja said: "With the P for People as the fifth P in the marketing mix, maximising the potential of the workforce is one of the most critical factors of business success. We have gathered international theorists, who will debate the application of their theory with regional practitioners."

Trio of acclaimed authors
Among the international speakers is a trio of best-selling authors: Fons Trompenaars; Dr Jonas Ridderstrale; and Richard Hadden.

Trompenaars, the highly acclaimed author of Riding the Waves of Culture, works with global corporations to benefit from the vast opportunities presented by cultural differences.

Ridderstrale, co-author of Funky Business and Karaoke Capitalism, focuses on new organisational models and leadership styles in the information age. He has recently been recognised as Sweden's outstanding young academic of the year.

As co-author of the best-selling book Contented Cows Give Better Milk, Hadden helps companies and organisations to be more profitable by creating a positive work atmosphere.


Workshops
Among the workshop hosts confirmed already are:
• Farhad A Al Hassawi, vice president, human resources (employee services) Emirates Group
• Armond Robitaille, general manager, Human Resources and Organisational Effectiveness, DUBAL
• Rachael Green, recruitment, training and development manager, Dubai Duty Free
• Tom Bartridge, GASCO 21 team leader, GASCO
• Barry Cummings, managing director, Action in Business International FZ LLC
• Jenny Ide, managing partner, Arabian Assessment and Development Centre
• David Thatcher, regional managing director, Bernard Haldane Associates, Dubai
• Philip Marsh, managing director, Stafford Associates
• A speaker from the British Council

Bonus e-learning seminar
Online learning must be used as part of an integrated training solution - including on-the-job experience - to ensure its effectiveness, according to Khaja. As part of a HR-industry drive to promote e-learning in Arabia, the conference organisers have booked Stefaan van Hooydonk to give a bonus session.

The e-learning debate is at the top of many companies' agendas, as they look to harness the power of the Internet for bottom-line benefit.

Khaja explained: "Some organisations focus too much on the e-learning component and forget to integrate with other learning elements during, and after, the initial training. There is no substitute for on-the-job skill application, but if practical experience follows online training, it maximises the effectiveness of both channels."

According to Khaja, training managers need to address the right balance of coaching, monitoring, and measuring after training for ongoing and sustainable performance improvement.

"The most direct path to a successful e-learning initiative is to recognise that true performance improvement can only occur when you balance the e-learning component with all other elements over time."

This view was backed up by van Hooydonk, a key strategist in international e-learning. He said: "Online learning is not about taking a course and putting it on the desktop. It is about a new blend of resources, interactivity, performance support and structured learning activities."

Van Hooydonk, formerly e-learning director for Nokia, was a driving force behind the company's goal of introducing mobile learning and 'edu-gaming" to users around the world.

He will debate a number of issues with delegates, such as the most effective deployment of e-learning in the corporate world, aligning e-learning with business bottom-line, and the adaptation of online learning to different cultures.

Panel discussions set conference agenda
Meanwhile, in another first, the IHR conference agenda was set following two panel discussions with local human resources professionals to identify pressing issues in the industry.

Companies represented at the advisory panels include: DUBAL; MMI; Knowledge Village; Dubai Ports, Customs and Free Zone Corporation; Department of Civil Aviation, Emirates; National Bank of Dubai; IBM; and Halliburton.

Khaja explained: "The human resources sector in the region is one that is too often considered as reactive, rather than strategic. We felt it was key to setting the agenda at October's event that we spoke to the people who work in the sector regionally, and get their feedback on issues of importance - at every level of a company."

knet is an independent training and management consultancy, and specialises in live speaker seminars and business conferences including IHR Arabia. It provides access to a network of international, regional and local organisations, such as the Chartered Institute of Marketing, the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, Institute of Administrative Management, the Institute of Leadership and Management, the Masters Certificate in Project Management from Regis University and the Practitioners Certificate in Neuro Linguistic Programming.