ICIEOL 2017 tackles obstacles preventing people of determination from entering labour marketDUBAI- The Dubai Community Development Authority, CDA, today launched the inaugural International Conference for Inclusive Employment and Occupational Learning, ICIEOL 2017, held in Dubai on 10th and 11th December, welcoming prominent researchers, academics and experts in vocational education and inclusive employment.
The event was sponsored by 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 for People of Determination and Human Rights Day. It is also based on the Dubai Strategy for People of Determination 2020, as well as the "My Community, A City for Everyone" initiative, which aim to make Dubai a friendlier city for people of determination.
The first day of the conference began with a special panel that brought together Ahmed Julfar, CDA Director-General; Dr Abdulla Karam, Chairman of the Board of Directors and Director-General of the Knowledge and Human Development Authority, KHDA; Professor Hisham Al Saghbini, Group CEO at Qualifications House UK, and David Holliman, General Manager of the Seglow Group. The panel was moderated by Dr Eman Gaad, Dean of Faculty of Education at the British University in Dubai.
Ahmed Julfar said, "The CDA works together with all parties to develop and empower this high-potential segment of society. The UAE, and Dubai in particular, holds people of determination in high regard and believes them to be an asset and a key component of the UAEs society.""In November 2013, H.H. Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of the Dubai Executive Council, launched the "My Community, A City for Everyone" initiative, which seeks to transform Dubai into a friendly place for people of determination by 2020. The Dubai Executive Council also launched the Dubai Strategy for People of Determination 2020," he added.
"We, at the authority, began early to integrate people of determination into regular schools. We need to establish a special environment, and we began setting unified standards that were tailored to Dubai schools, as well as a special education strategy," Karam said.
"The KHDA is keen to adopt policies and strategies to spread awareness among UAE society, which includes nearly 200 nationalities," Karam continued.
"There is significant international momentum around empowering people of determination to play their role in society. Dubai stands out as a pioneer in this regard. ICIEOL 2017 explores the challenges facing inclusive employment and the available solutions, based on benchmarking and best practices," Professor Al Saghbini said.
"The way society views people of determination is one of the crucial factors that can impede their integration into society," he added.
"One of the most important challenges inhibiting the integration process is societys stereotypical view of people of determination. It is a challenge that must be addressed along with reforms to academic curricula and government initiatives," Holliman said in conclusion.
The second panel discussion titled "Innovative Approaches to Inclusive Employment", where experts investigated international best practices in terms of inclusive employment for people of determination, and compared them to those adopted in the UAE and Dubai. Looking over real-life success stories and pragmatic implementations, panellists examined how disability-friendly initiatives could be successfully implemented to achieve full inclusion, all the while debating how job performance for this segment could be improved.
The third panel of the day "Social Inclusion vs. Work Inclusion: The Social Challenges of Inclusive Employment" looked into the challenges that face inclusive employment in Dubai and the UAE, discussing the main obstacles and social barriers standing in the way. Participating experts identified the lack of social acceptance by non-disabled co-workers as a key reason why employees with disability fail to stay in regular organisations for sustained periods of time.
Concluding the first day of the Conference, the panel titled "The Journey to Inclusive Employment: From School to Work" delved deep into research that studies the transition from inclusive education to inclusive employment with a focus on higher education. The research investigated the support system such as career orientation available to students of determination making the transition to the workplace in the UAE, comparing the findings with international best practices. Students were invited to take part in the discussion panel so as to provide valuable insight into their experience and perspective regarding the findings.
ICIEOL 2017 aims to identify the employment needs of people of determination, as well the requirements and conditions for successfully integrating them in the labour market, through a series of lectures, discussions and workshops that are set to take place throughout the two-day conference, led by top-tier academics and experts in the field of vocational education.
The CDA has also launched a dedicated website, www.icieol.com, which includes a comprehensive overview of the conference, its objectives and the high-profile speakers who are set to attend.
Copyright Emirates News Agency (WAM) 2017.
The event was sponsored by 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 for People of Determination and Human Rights Day. It is also based on the Dubai Strategy for People of Determination 2020, as well as the "My Community, A City for Everyone" initiative, which aim to make Dubai a friendlier city for people of determination.
The first day of the conference began with a special panel that brought together Ahmed Julfar, CDA Director-General; Dr Abdulla Karam, Chairman of the Board of Directors and Director-General of the Knowledge and Human Development Authority, KHDA; Professor Hisham Al Saghbini, Group CEO at Qualifications House UK, and David Holliman, General Manager of the Seglow Group. The panel was moderated by Dr Eman Gaad, Dean of Faculty of Education at the British University in Dubai.
Ahmed Julfar said, "The CDA works together with all parties to develop and empower this high-potential segment of society. The UAE, and Dubai in particular, holds people of determination in high regard and believes them to be an asset and a key component of the UAEs society.""In November 2013, H.H. Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of the Dubai Executive Council, launched the "My Community, A City for Everyone" initiative, which seeks to transform Dubai into a friendly place for people of determination by 2020. The Dubai Executive Council also launched the Dubai Strategy for People of Determination 2020," he added.
"We, at the authority, began early to integrate people of determination into regular schools. We need to establish a special environment, and we began setting unified standards that were tailored to Dubai schools, as well as a special education strategy," Karam said.
"The KHDA is keen to adopt policies and strategies to spread awareness among UAE society, which includes nearly 200 nationalities," Karam continued.
"There is significant international momentum around empowering people of determination to play their role in society. Dubai stands out as a pioneer in this regard. ICIEOL 2017 explores the challenges facing inclusive employment and the available solutions, based on benchmarking and best practices," Professor Al Saghbini said.
"The way society views people of determination is one of the crucial factors that can impede their integration into society," he added.
"One of the most important challenges inhibiting the integration process is societys stereotypical view of people of determination. It is a challenge that must be addressed along with reforms to academic curricula and government initiatives," Holliman said in conclusion.
The second panel discussion titled "Innovative Approaches to Inclusive Employment", where experts investigated international best practices in terms of inclusive employment for people of determination, and compared them to those adopted in the UAE and Dubai. Looking over real-life success stories and pragmatic implementations, panellists examined how disability-friendly initiatives could be successfully implemented to achieve full inclusion, all the while debating how job performance for this segment could be improved.
The third panel of the day "Social Inclusion vs. Work Inclusion: The Social Challenges of Inclusive Employment" looked into the challenges that face inclusive employment in Dubai and the UAE, discussing the main obstacles and social barriers standing in the way. Participating experts identified the lack of social acceptance by non-disabled co-workers as a key reason why employees with disability fail to stay in regular organisations for sustained periods of time.
Concluding the first day of the Conference, the panel titled "The Journey to Inclusive Employment: From School to Work" delved deep into research that studies the transition from inclusive education to inclusive employment with a focus on higher education. The research investigated the support system such as career orientation available to students of determination making the transition to the workplace in the UAE, comparing the findings with international best practices. Students were invited to take part in the discussion panel so as to provide valuable insight into their experience and perspective regarding the findings.
ICIEOL 2017 aims to identify the employment needs of people of determination, as well the requirements and conditions for successfully integrating them in the labour market, through a series of lectures, discussions and workshops that are set to take place throughout the two-day conference, led by top-tier academics and experts in the field of vocational education.
The CDA has also launched a dedicated website, www.icieol.com, which includes a comprehensive overview of the conference, its objectives and the high-profile speakers who are set to attend.
Copyright Emirates News Agency (WAM) 2017.
