Global Skills has won the 2010 IC³ World Cup championships. Global Skills, a training centre based in Muscat, provides courses in Certiport Internet and Computing Core Certification (IC³), Adobe Certified Associate, Microsoft Office Specialist and Microsoft Technology Associate Certification in partnership with public and private institutions. By winning the coveted prize, Global Skills has become the first Omani company to bag this honour. IC³ is a global certification programme available in different languages and aims at enhancing computer literacy in workplaces.
The fourth IC³ World Cup saw 1,000 teams from 80 countries participating in the event. The participating teams have to earn points in the exams conducted at their centre. With every successful attempt a team member earns 50 points and clearing all the three levels fetches the trainer 50 bonus points. Besides, each team has an IC³ authorised instructor (AI) as a head coach who receives 300 points and any trainee who passes the IC³ exam within eight months earns 100 points for the team. This year’s competition also asked the participants to promote their teams through social networking sites like Facebook.
Marie Taylor, general manager of Global Skills, said, “We are ecstatic about winning this competition. In fact, we are the first institution from the Middle East to have done it. It is a great achievement and underscores the growing awareness and need in Oman for digital literacy. Competing against teams from developed countries and beating them is definitely a boost for us and our candidates.” Teams from the US, China and Japan also took part in the competition.
The Flying Camels, comprising 45 trainers from Global Skills, managed to certify 5,000 people from October 31, 2009, to June 30, 2010. Government employees constituted the majority of the candidates in Oman. Global Skills has nine branches in various regions of Oman, including Sharqiyah, Dakhiliyah and Dhahirah. It has a mobile technical support team which travels to all the branches and other educational institutions and schools to conduct the test. Global Skills has tailor-made the courses to suit a candidate’s proficiency with the option for self-study.
Approved by the Information Technology Authority (ITA), Global Skills currently works with 38 ministries and runs special programmes for 14 ministries. Before winning the IC³ World Cup, the Flying Camels were also declared regional winner from Europe, Middle East and Africa and bagged sector regional victory in the government and workforce training. “We would like to share this honour with the entire country as it is an award for the efforts and progress that Oman is making in such a short time,” said Marie.
Khalil al Busaidi, coordinator for Director General of the Northern Sharqiyah region at the Ministry of Health, is one of the candidates who completed the course through Global Skills. Khalil said, “I learnt about computing application and information processing. It has taught me core concepts that make the workplace manageable, enjoyable and efficient. I would recommend this course for all job-seekers and students who have finished their high school diploma.”
|