Qatar- QCDC develops digital programs for students with special needs

(MENAFN- The Peninsula) Doha: Qatar Career Development Center, of Qatar Foundation (QF) has partnered with Mada, a private institution, to promote digital inclusion and has developed digital programs for students with special needs. 

Through its collaboration with Mada, QCDC aims to promote digital inclusion and to build an online community for the elderly and people with disabilities. Through these efforts, QCDC seeks to empower and assist students with special needs in setting goals and acquiring new skills after graduation.

Since partnering with Mada, QCDC has received accreditation for making its digital platform accessible to residents around the country. Over several months, QCDC worked hard to meet all the global standards for digital access to web content (WCAG 2.1), and has joined a growing list of accredited platforms that promote digital inclusiveness, empower people with special needs and the elderly, and support their independence.

QCDC has also been assisting students with special needs in exploring employment opportunities, while supporting stakeholders and partners, through its Career Readiness Program. The program was launched in 2018 following the signing of a memorandum of understanding between QCDC and Awsaj Academy, both members of Qatar Foundation. 

The program aims to help children with learning difficulties, while raising awareness among employers on how to integrate people with special needs in the workplace. Through its range of diverse activities, the program strives to educate the local community on the obstacles and challenges students face and how to overcome these difficulties while bolstering career guidance services by leveraging and adapting international models and best practices.

The four-dimensional program helps youth make informed decisions about their future careers, offering graduates the opportunity to develop their skills and reshape societal views on the learning process in a bid to establish an effective national vocational system.

The multi-level weekly activities target students of Awsaj Academy and The Learning Center part of QF through workshops, lectures by Qatari entrepreneurs, field trips to local organizations, volunteering initiatives, and social responsibility projects that highlight the ethical values of society.

QCDC and Awsaj Academy are currently working to officially integrate the Career Readiness Program Framework into the Awsaj school curriculum to ensure that activities and projects undertaken by students count towards graduation criteria and micro-certification.

QCDC is also expanding its outreach and the scope of its work with students with learning challenges, through a tailored program for inclusive employment of young high school graduates.

The project consists of a self-sustaining Qatari-run program, built on a Train-the-Trainer approach. 

The program will target various groups, including youth, parents, and employers, through virtual meetings to assess career interests, student strengths and weaknesses and skills development training programs.
 

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