A host of high-profile Experts, Researchers and Academics in the field of vocational education and inclusive employment are set to participate in the inaugural International Conference on Inclusive Employment and Occupational Learning 2017 (ICIEOL 2017), taking place in Dubai on December 10-11, 2017.
The conference is sponsored by Dubai’s Community Development Authority (CDA) and organised by Qualifications House UK in collaboration with the Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Knowledge Foundation (MBRF) to coincide with the International Day of Persons with Disabilities. The event is rooted in the “My Community... A City for Everyone” initiative, which seeks to make Dubai a friendlier city for people of determination and is aligned with the inclusive employment pillar of Dubai Disability strategy 2020
ICIEOL 2017 aims to emphasize and spread awareness on the legislative framework supporting the inclusive employment of PWD on an international and local level. Additionally, it identifies and disseminates best practices in the area of inclusive employment for People of determination, discusses related challenges and gaps in the local market and advances solutions to bride these gaps. It also portrays successful employment stories and models.
CDA’s Director General His Excellency Ahmed Julfar said: “The list of influential and renowned scientists, researchers and academics that have come forward to take part in the first-ever International Conference on Inclusive Employment and Occupational Learning reflects the global momentum building up to empower people of determination to play their role in society. Dubai has proven to be a trailblazer in this regard with the ambitious Dubai Strategy for People of Determination 2020, launched by His Highness Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crowne Prince of Dubai.
“The conference will set out to develop the necessary strategies to promote the role of rehabilitation and training for this high-potential segment of society,” H.E. Julfar explained, adding: “It identifies the challenges associated with achieving an inclusive working environment for people of determination, all the while outlining the Community Development Authority’s leading role in awareness and advocacy on right of people of determination to work and participate actively in the economic development of the UAE. .”
Meanwhile, Dr Hisham Al Saghbini, Group CEO at Qualifications House UK, will deliver a keynote speech at the session titled “Prospects of Employment Inclusion in the UAE”. Specialising in quantitative and qualitative research in education, Dr Al Saghbini brings more than 15 years of international experience in the sector, where he Created the WPPD – Work Passport for People with Determination.
Commenting on the launch of the inaugural ICIEOL 2017, Dr Al Saghbini noted: “The conference offers the ideal platform for experts to come together and identify the biggest challenges surrounding vocational training and rehabilitation for people of determination, as well as to plan for a prosperous and inclusive future for the employment market. Furthermore, the research papers that will be presented and discussed at length here at the event will be published through the international digital library EBSCO.”
Moreover, Dr Naji Al Mahdi, Chief of Qualifications and Awards in Dubai at the Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA), will join a panel discussing the “Transition from Inclusive Education to Inclusive Employment”, along with CDA’s Social Inclusion Specialist Dr Hussain Ali Maseeh.
Dr Muna Al Hamadi, Professor at Zayed University who has also worked as a Disability Social Care Specialist at CDA will address “Challenges to Inclusive Employment” in a panel discussion at the conference, while Dr David Holliman, Global CEO of UK-based Specialist Education Consultants Global (SECGLO), explores in his session the “Challenges for People of Determination in the UAE”. SECGLO offers a wide variety of courses, corporate training and consultancy services to educational institutions in both the private and public sectors.
On a similar note, Harry Bundered, Director of the Institute of Training and Occupational Learning (IOTL), is set to lead a discussion in a panel titled “Occupational Learning Model for People with Determination”. Bundered specialises in occupational learning and how to empower people from different groups in the workplace.
The International Conference on Inclusive Employment and Occupational Learning 2017 is the first-of-its-kind in the region. It consolidates efforts of human capital development in the UAE, chiefly related to the people of determination, by promoting the role of scientific research and employing its outputs to increase inclusive employment.
The initiatives emanating from the conference will spring to action the strategies needed to sustain human resource development by capitalising on academic research and practical experience in the process of inclusive employment, and activating the role of smart technology in planning, implementing and evaluating its processes.
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