UAE, Korea sign agreement on training of UAE youths

13.03.11

The Abu Dhabi Centre for Technical and Vocational Education and Training (ACTVET) and the Korean Project Management Association (KPMA) yesterday signed a Memorandum of Understanding that will assist the Emirates Project Management Academy continue its work of establishing world-class project management practices in the UAE.

Project management methodology is a management discipline that is widely acknowledged as a key factor in the successful construction and operation of "mega projects" throughout the world. The Korean Project Management Association is a world leader in the discipline, and the country's expertise in the field has made a major contribution to the success of the Korean nuclear energy program.

Companies participating in the UAE peaceful civil nuclear energy program, including Korea Electric Power Corporation and Korea Hydro and Nuclear Power Company, play important roles in the Korea Project Management Association.

"This is an important development for the Emirates Project Management Association, and one that we believe will produce lasting benefits to both our organisations," said Mubarak Saeed Al Shamsi, Deputy Director General of ACTVET. "We also believe that the work that will be undertaken by EPMA and our colleagues from Korea will provide a wealth of knowledge to the young men and women in the project management discipline throughout the UAE.

"We look forward to productive work in the future - work that will benefit the growing economy of Abu Dhabi and the UAE," Al Shamsi said.

Al Shamsi signed the agreement along with Mr. Kim Jong-Shin, President and Chief Executive Officer of Korea Hydro and Nuclear Power Company, who is also the Chairman of the Korea Project Management Association. The foundation for the agreement is the shared commitment to develop a cooperative institutional mentoring relationship between EPMA and KPMA that, during a five-year period, will lay the foundation for EPMA's future development.

As part of the agreement, the organisations will develop an operational and management framework for the EPMA using the existing and successful KPMA framework as a model. The groups will also develop a range of training, certification and professional development programs that could be delivered in Abu Dhabi. They will also use the expertise of the KPMA to train groups of trainers in Abu Dhabi, so that they will be able to offer programs for existing and future Program Managers in the UAE.

The groups also agreed to explore the joint delivery of workshops, seminars and conferences in Abu Dhabi. The EPMA was established to introduce, develop and support the establishment of world-leading project management practices within the UAE.

The organisation partners with other international project management institutes to adopt educational and training curricula, and has established a system to collect "lessons-learned" from local projects so that they can be shared through publications, working sessions and conferences. Among ACTVET's roles is to lead the creation of new entities that can impact both the quality of vocational education and training in Abu Dhabi and the careers that follow.