Dubai, 05 April 2010: Just as women differ from men, so too should their learning environment. This is the sentiment of a local training provider following statistics released regarding higher learning in Emirati men and women this week. According to the Dubai Competitiveness Centre, it was revealed this week at a breakfast debate hosted by Dubai Knowledge Village that the total of female UAE Nationals investing in higher education was more than double that of Emirati men.
"Seventy percent of women (leaving school) undertake a form of higher education, while 30 percent move straight into the workforce or stay at home," said debate participant and Director of the DCC, Gayane Afrikian. This was in contrast to the 30 percent of male UAE Nationals who take up higher education following their schooling, with the balance of 70 percent joining the labour market. Ms Afrikian also stated that there needed to be more of a push towards continued education where UAE Nationals were concerned.
Agreeing with this approach and tailoring courses to suit the market is an approach that has not been ignored.
"Women think and behave differently to men. Because 55 percent of communication is non-verbal, and women are generally better communicators than men, it makes sense to provide a learning environment that can best facilitate this," said lecturer Amber Allum of Dubai-based Specialised Management Group which last year launched ladies-only courses in project management.
Although the organisation offers mixed classes, focused courses for women - by women - facilitates a more "engaged" training environment. While projects don't necessarily distinguish between gender stakeholders, it is essential that collaborative methods are used to ensure all participants of any team or group buy into what they are doing or create. This buy-in process means greater ownership of the result rather than simply label the outcome as "not invented here".
"Learning through experience has the greatest chance of retention and implementation in the real world. Training needs to simulate that world and allow mistakes to be made, and corrected, to afford all team members to enjoy project or task success," said Ms Allum.
"Simulations are used by high performing companies to mitigate risk and assess team dynamics and performance. Organisations like NASA, Microsoft and Dell, to mention but a few, insist this method in ensuring complete project success. At SMG, past and future projects are simulated to cater for real world conditions and soft skill behaviours. This interactive simulation challenges teams and individuals to set, plan and reach deadlines within time, cost and quality while leveraging behavioural skills to have the team own the result. It's challenging and engaging - there are no clock-watchers here as the environment itself chases time in an un-paralleled learning environment without causing real-life risk. It's very popular".
Tailoring courses and learning to suit differences in people has been popular, continued Ms Allum, because people looking to increase their skill feel more comfortable when encountering a facilitative environment. She predicts that as more and more people utilise training to boost their skill and employee marketability, personalised learning will become even more popular.
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Specialised Management Group (SMG) is a dynamic management solutions consulting firm specialising in global project and process management consulting and training. They leverage experience and best of breed project management practices, processes and methodologies, to help clients achieve project management objectives and gain competence and capability in the process.
For more information regarding ladies-only professional project management training or for specialist comment regarding process and project management in the Middle East, contact Specialised Management Group at info@smg-me.com
For more information or interviews please contact Specialised Management Group.
T: +971 4 369 3453
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© Press Release 2010
