MENA business sector must promote innovation in the workplace, says academic expert

MENA business sector must promote innovation in the workplace, says academic expert

Edexcel regional director: “Education is the key to business development”

August 16, 2010 1:47 by Rasha Reslan

Dubai, UAE, 12th August, 2010: An academic expert has urged the MENA business sector to support and promote innovation in the workplace as part of corporate culture.

Mark Andrews, MENA Regional Director of Edexcel, a leading provider of internationally recognised academic and professional qualifications, acknowledged that MENA-based companies have shown significant progress in the field by investing in the enhancement of their staff’s skills as part of a region-wide drive to spread a culture of innovation.

Andrews pointed out that companies in the Middle East have, in recent years, adopted radical changes in running their businesses by integrating information technology into almost every aspect of business, providing customers with better services and connecting and empowering employees.

These moves have undoubtedly supported the organisations in their bid to boost their business and expand their footprints across global markets.

Andrews indicated that there exists an interactive relationship between innovation and creation of business opportunities and that education plays a key role in providing individuals with the skills to develop innovative ideas that help companies expand.

The MENA market is experiencing an upsurge in the training middle and senior management or private companies and across all levels in government departments. According to Andrews, this proves that the region as a whole is committed to setting a foundation for strong, sustainable growth and highlights the importance of governments and private companies sharing expertise.

Edexcel’s vocational qualifications provide a practical, real-world approach to learning alongside a theoretical background. They are designed both to replicate the professional working environment and provide learners with the skills, knowledge and behaviors they need to succeed in an increasingly competitive global market.

Edexcel, the leading UK-based awarding body, is part of Pearson, the world’s largest education services providers. It offers academic and professional qualifications and testing to thousands of schools, colleges, employers and other places of learning globally, and has over 4 million learners enrolled on its highly regarded courses in more than 85 countries annually.

In the UAE, Edexcel works with many private institutions as well as government-funded training providers responsible for educating the local population, which include the National Institute for Vocational Education, the Institute for Vocational Development and the Sharjah Institute of Technology.

Various opportunities for progression to higher education are available for Edexcel’s BTEC HND holders in North America, Europe, Asia, Africa, the Middle East and Australasia and 85 professional organisations such as the Chartered Institute of Marketing and Association of Chartered Certified Accountants grant exemption for their own professional qualifications for holders of the relevant BTEC qualifications provided by Edexcel.