SCAD holds professional and fellowship statistics training programs

The Statistical Training Institute (STI) of Statistics Centre - Abu Dhabi has launched a statistical capability development project to train the UAE national employees at the Abu Dhabi government entities.

The program, which targets quality improvement of the statistics products, is part of a plan to upgrade the statistical ecosystem in Abu Dhabi. The project provides two training programs in cooperation with the NOVA Information Management School (NOVA IMS) - University of Lisbon in Portugal and the UK Royal Statistical Society (RSS).

The first program, co-developed with the NOVA IMS, covers five branches of study which extend to three days. Each one gives 18 credit hours of training in four different courses. Trainees would receive professional certificates in the fundamentals of official statistics, data and field management, data science, and applied statistics. The trainees would learn how to efficiently deal with different types of specialties of statistics and data science.

The second program is a fellowship that is divided into 15 courses (120 credit hours) ending with tests which are designed according to the RSS standards. Participants would gain a deep knowledge of formal statistics, as well as the ability to identify and apply a wide range of statistical concepts and techniques.

Ahmed Mahmoud Fikri, director general of Statistics Centre - Abu Dhabi, said: “One of the SCAD strategic objectives is to develop an integrated statistical ecosystem, and to organise the statistical works across the emirate. Also, the Statistics Centre - Abu Dhabi is to constantly improve the statistical capabilities and to enable the government entities to produce their official statistics and data, participate in statistical trainings, and to unify the work techniques and methodologies.”

He noted the impact of the rapid technological changes, and the increasing need to develop artificial intelligence and algorithms driven services that create deeper data knowledge and better mechanisms. He added that there is a subsequent necessity to improve the human resources in this vital field of work.

The program certificates are recognised internationally and among the best in the field, the director general added.

In this context, Rabaa Mohammed Saleh Bani Yas, director of the STI said: “The two programs, offered for the first time in the region, have very rich content that aims to develop and strengthen the statistical capabilities in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, in line with the requirements of a comprehensive statistical ecosystem which is the main mission of the STI.”

She added: “Cooperation with NOVA IMS and RSS reflects an interest in the statistics and data training and educational programs which have been developed in cooperation with the European Central Bank (ECB), and the Eurostat - the statistical office of the European Union, to enhance the statistical techniques alignment among the European Union member states.”

The STI director said the programs were designed to fit the statistics and data sciences related job families in the Abu Dhabi government. She added that the graduates will be able to apply a wide range of practical statistical concepts and techniques in their institutions as they would learn how to develop a roadmap for their career.

The courses, which started on September 5, are part of the STI’s initiatives to develop skills and qualify the UAE national workforce in the field of statistics and data science.

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