MECIT joins Microsoft IT Academy Program to offer professional courses in Microsoft technologies


Muscat, 7th March 2004: To help meet the continued demand for skilled IT workers in the Omani business community, Middle East College of Information Technology (MECIT) has signed up with Microsoft to become the first Microsoft-certified IT Academy in the Sultanate. As a result, MECIT will be offering a full IT career development solution that enables students to gain the professional qualifications they need to build successful careers with the 21st century skills.
 
As a member of the Microsoft IT Academy Program, MECIT offers basic and advanced IT courses, designed to fit the needs of different levels of students. Courses will offer everything from desktop skills essential for today’s workforce, to networking and programming skills for advanced IT professionals. The Academy Program is designed to provide training establishments with all the resources they need to empower students to realize their potential with skills gained on Microsoft technologies.
 
“This program allows our faculty to stay current on emerging technology using the best courseware available, and allows students to learn under the best conditions possible using state-of-the-art technology and learning tools,” said Dr. T. R. Narayanan, Dean of MECIT. “With the support of the IT Academy Program, we can be sure that our students leave us not just with the right skills for the IT industry, but also with hands-on experience of the latest technology that they will find in the workplace.”
 
MECIT will offer Microsoft certifications such as the Microsoft Office User Specialist (MOUS), Microsoft Certified Professional (MCP), Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer (MCSE), and Microsoft Certified Application Developer (MCAD). These highly-valued certifications are well respected by employers in the industry and help students to find employment in IT roles in any sector.
 
“The Microsoft IT Academy Program ensures that every student has the opportunity to participate in the technology-driven economy,” said Abdullatif Almulla, General Manager of Microsoft South Gulf. “Students gain valuable skills, degrees, and certifications that lead to more profitable and rewarding career options, and nothing matches the self-confidence gained from achieving personal and professional goals.”
 
“To make sure the students get the highest training standards, Microsoft will be in charge of training two faculty members through one of our Certified Technology Education Centers in Oman,” added Almulla.
 
The Microsoft IT Academy Program empowers schools to become innovative IT education leaders in their communities. The program offers faculty training, early access to Microsoft’s newest technologies, roadmaps to student careers, Microsoft courseware and student discounts that enable schools to grow the employability and productivity of the local IT workforce, while expanding students’ career prospects.
 
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About Microsoft Corporation
Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq "MSFT") is the worldwide leader in software, services and Internet technologies for personal and business computing. The company offers a wide range of products and services designed to empower people through great software - any time, any place and on any device. Microsoft opened its Dubai-based Middle East office in 1991. Microsoft today has five subsidiaries in the Middle East region: Microsoft South Gulf which oversees Microsoft activities in the UAE, Oman, Yemen and Pakistan, Microsoft North Gulf which oversees Microsoft activities in Kuwait, Bahrain and Qatar, Microsoft Arabia covering the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Microsoft East Med covering , Lebanon, Jordan, Cyprus and Malta and Microsoft Egypt. Microsoft Corporation's address on the World Wide Web is: www.microsoft.com Microsoft Middle East's Web site is: www.microsoft.com/middleeast
 
For further information kindly contact:
Media contact:
Iman Ghorayeb
Mark Sutton
ASDA'A Public Relations
Dubai,
UAE
Tel:  + (971-4) 3344550
Fax: + (971-4) 3344556
E-mail: info@asdaa.com
 
Microsoft Contact:
Rania Milki
Microsoft South Gulf
Dubai,
United Arab Emirates
Tel: +(971-4) 3917313
Fax: +(971-4) 3971001
E-mail: v-raniam@microsoft.com 

© Press Release 2004