Etisalat to launch IT diploma courses

Etisalat Academy yesterday announced the launch of four specialised diploma courses to produce professionals in Information Technology (IT).

Graduates from the Higher Colleges of Technology (HCT) and high schools with two years of work experience will be able to get admission in the diploma programmes, starting from January 26.

The courses are part of the academy's initiatives to prepare qualified professionals, conversant with the latest technology, within the UAE and the Gulf region, said Dr Doaa Fares, General Manager of the Etisalat Academy.

The one year diploma courses target four specific areas of the IT industry such as database management, programme development, network management and operating system and website creation and development.

At the end of the 12-month course, students can apply for the British accreditation test, which takes place annually at the academy to acquire a higher diploma in IT.

During the first semester, which totals 486 credit hours, topics will cover basic PC technology, network systems, system analysis, software development, quality assurance, financial accounting and the basics of management.

In the second semester, students will spend 342 credit hours studying their chosen field of specialisation.

The final semester covers practicals at laboratories of the academy during which students will put theories into practical use. Each student also has to prepare a thesis-style project related directly to his or her place of employment.

"The benefits of these courses to students and their employers are obvious because they relate directly to the job they do and help them to do their jobs better," she added.

Dr Fares said this is the second set of diploma courses the academy has announced. The graduates of the first batch recently passed out and are awaiting their City and Guilds accreditation from London.

These graduates include UAE nationals from the oil and gas sector, water and electricity department, Armed Forces, and overseas students from Oman Telecom as well as Etisalat employees.

She said Etisalat has invested Dh 165 million in the academy to turn the UAE into a centre of training excellence for students from all over the world. The number of courses available will soon increase to over 1,000.

The academy, having 50 classrooms and five workshops, also holds an ISO 9002 quality management system certification and has so far trained nearly 12,000 people from Etisalat and other organisations.

The facility also has five seminar rooms, a 270-seat auditorium, a multi-purpose hall with room for 500 people, an extensive multimedia library, a modern sports recreational complex and three deluxe student hostels.

The general manager said the academy is equipped with the most advanced technical training equipment and around 100 multi-national tutors.

The academy was recently certified by City and Guilds International, a leading UK examination standard, to conduct vocational programmes in the UAE. It is the Middle East's first certified centre.