In this regard, Dr. Abdulrahman Abdul Manan Al Awar, Director General of the Authority, said that this year's edition of "Ma’arif" Training & Development Forum will be held under the slogan "Technological Change & Opportunities for Training & Development". The event will be attended by a large group of federal and local governments employees and dozens of the best accredited training companies in the United Arab Emirates under Ma’arif Initiative membership.

He added: “In FAHR, we are always striving to direct our innovative initiatives and projects towards the objective of keeping abreast of the latest trends, developments and global changes in the field of government efficiency and empowering human capital through adopting the best practices, strategies and training methods. Ma’arif Training & Development Forum has become one of the region's leading exhibitions and an ideal platform that showcases specialist training methods, bringing together exhibitors in human resource development, training and development solutions and human capital development across the region under one roof.”

20 specialized training programs for Federal Government employees free of charge

HE Dr. Abdulrahman Al Awar described the Forum as an ideal opportunity to review the latest trends in human resources training and development solutions, and that it is one of the most important outcomes of "Ma’arif" initiative for the Federal Government’s preferred training partners. The event, he said, will see a diverse range of innovative training activities, including 20 specialized free training courses to support the development of the federal and local government employees and contribute to providing government institutions with qualified human capital capable of realizing the UAE Vision 2021 and UAE National Agenda.

“This Forum taking place at the headquarters of Dubai Knowledge Park will see on its first day, an exhibition of training and assessment partners to present their training services to the Federal Government and introduce the latest training and assessment techniques, in addition to giving the federal authorities the opportunity to communicate directly with the providers of these services”, he noted.

Laila Al Suwaidi, Executive Director of Programs & HR Planning said: "The Ma’arif Training and Development Forum provides a perfect platform to review and discuss the latest employee training systems and techniques, in order to choose the best methods to develop their behavioral and professional skills, and to meet with experts and specialists in education and training, as it focuses on training in the workplace.

"The Forum will feature general and specialized training programs and courses supervised by experts in their fields, including: modern training and development technology using smart games, using virtual reality training and development strategy to improve learning outcomes, basic concepts in human resource management, Balanced Scorecard outstanding performance, and the art of identifying and analysing training needs using LEGO games".

She called on the ministries and federal authorities to participate in Ma’arif Training & Development exhibition and Forum, and to register their employees to benefit from the courses and workshops provided at  different places, including: Dubai Knowledge Park, FAHR headquarters in Dubai, Ministry of Health Training and Development Center in Sharjah, and Dubai Men's College.

The Ma’arif initiative for the Federal Government's preferred training partners, launched in 2013, is considered one of the Authority’s strategic initiatives, and the first of its kind at the level of the Federal Government. The aim is to prepare a list of the best providers of training services in the UAE and make it available to the ministries and federal entities, so that they can take advantage of training programs at competitive prices.

The Ma'arif initiative aims to:

Establish a partnership based on social responsibility and serve the mutual interests of the government and private sector. Guarantee providing high quality training for around 84,000 employees working in 56 ministries and federal entities. Meet the training needs in accordance with the training and development system of the Federal Government employees. Achieve a financial surplus from the training budgets of federal entities and serve the maximum number of employees. Enhance the competence and productivity of the Federal Government and create a favourable business environment therein. Assist federal entities to select training courses online, in accordance with predefined time frames.