Continuing Education and Professional Development – New Trend in the UAE
What is continuing education and why is it so important in the modern world? It's no secret for anyone that any specialist should carry out continuing education professional development, as new digital technologies are being introduced in all spheres of the economy, and therefore professional knowledge very quickly becomes irrelevant and you lose your value in the eyes of the employer. This is especially true in the IT sphere and those where digital technologies are actively used.
The more actively and often you are engaged in professional self-study, or attend some professional courses, the more advantages you get over your colleagues and competitors.
Another trend in the modern world is the multifunctionality and universalism of specialists, that is, the more skills you have in different spheres, the more interest you will have from employers, say knowledge of the basics of graphic design will be rather useful for the marketing manager, and the basis of mathematical analysis – for the sales manager.
Organization of continuing professional education in a company
The planning of continuing professional education is one of the main components of human resources planning, which includes two stages: the first one is the forecast of the quantitative and qualitative composition of the employed in the organization for the period under review; and the second one is the preparation of plans for recruitment, training, retraining and advanced training of personnel.
The problem of staff motivation for training is often naturally resolved with the emerging labor market. The more valuable an employee is for a company, the more funds are provided to improve his/her skills. Thus, the training system becomes a powerful incentive to increase labor productivity.
By providing a rigid link between training and economic and social criteria, companies are actively searching for new forms and methods of teaching. The main ones are:
- linking learning with the solution of production and personnel tasks;
- individualization and flexibility of training;
- careful, methodical study of programs;
- application of active methods and reduction of training terms on this basis;
- creation of a network of specialized training centers.
Experts believe that the goals of continuous education of staff in the workplace are the goals of continuing education listed in the table.
Table – Goals of continuous education of cadres in the workplace
- Organization and formation of management personnel;
- Mastering the ability to identify, understand and solve emerging problems;
- Seamless staff integration;
- Adaptation and introduction of innovations
- Maintenance professional skills and professional development at an appropriate level;
- Getting professional knowledge outside the main business activities;
- Acquisition of knowledge about "external" organizations that affect the work of the company;
- Development of skills in planning and organization of production
Continuing education for professionals in the UAE – prospects, and opportunities for career growth
If we are talking about the UAE, there are all the essential components for success – a developed labor market, a large number of educational institutions that offer professional education, and good career prospects.
Due to effective government management and support in the development of all spheres of the economy, a good professional will always have a job here. On the other hand, branch offices of world-class universities and private business schools and institutes work here to satisfy the demand for professional education.
Continuing education and professional development are a new trend in the UAE and new organizations, providing such education have appeared lately, for example, the Atton Institute.