Dubai eGovernment and Microsoft launch IT training program for prison inmates

The training program is carried out in partnership with Dubai Police Department.

As part of the first phase of the Ta'aheel Project to rehabilitate prison inmates, IT training will be imparted to personnel of the Dubai Police, who in turn will pass on the acquired skills to the inmates.

Salem Al Shair, eServices Director, Dubai eGovernment, said, 'The technology training program is a reflection of the eGovernment's commitment to break down the digital divide and ensure that the benefits of technology reach as wide a section of the population as possible.'

Many inmates regress into the world of crime after their release due to their inability to find any respectable means to keep themselves occupied. Bringing the inmates within the IT sphere will bring them back into the social fold and help them lead a normal life upon their release by making use of the gathered skills to re-engage with society.'

Amna Al-Nakhi, Academic Program and Community Affairs Manager, Microsoft Corporation, South Gulf, said, 'At Microsoft, we know that amazing things happen when people have access to the right resources to help them pursue their dreams. We've seen it again and again when we have worked with the unprivileged children, women and other citizens and it did create a lasting difference in hundreds of communities and thousands of lives around the Middle East. Our goal is to truly empower people and communities even prisoners, by making sure they have the tools, skills and resources to overcome not only today's challenges, but also those that will arise in the future, and the Ta'aheel Project is part of our larger efforts toward this goal'

The training will be conducted for 5 hours a day for a period of two months, and will stretch a total of 102-110 hours. The Unlimited Potential Curriculum contains 8 modules, wherein the fundamentals of Computer; Digital Media; Internet and World Wide Web; Web Design; Word Processing; Presentation; Database and Spreadsheet will be taught.

Dubai eGovernment is a comprehensive project dedicated to creating a centralised automated infrastructure to offer most government services online to the community and businesses. All Government departments in Dubai have been involved in the efforts to offer integrated eServices through one single channel - the Dubai eGovernment portal .