SMG launch UAE’s first women-only project management courses

 Dubai, July 12, 2009: Specialised Management Group (SMG) announces the launch of the UAE’s first women-only project management courses.

From September this year, SMG will run courses for women by women. This initiative is in response to the growing interest in women working in projects and their desire to learn in a non-mixed environment. 

Courses will range from basic to advanced project management and will include preparation courses for certification as a project management professional.  The courses will be tailored to suit the female project management professional and will be adapted to relate directly to the industries in which female attendees work.

“The interactive nature of our courses means that all attendees will be able to get involved in activities while still adhering to cultural sensitivities,” said James Norbury, executive director of SMG.

“Women are natural multi-taskers and the very nature of projects requires this skill. There is a need for more qualified women to work in projects as managers and project team members”.

In the UAE, local literacy rates of women currently match those of men, and there are now more women at University than men. Women are accountable for an increasing portion of the national workforce and occupy jobs ranging from teaching and healthcare, to engineering and banking. Many women have secured senior roles and work in varying positions within an organisation.  The recognition of the value and skills of women in a modern Arabic and Islamic society has given rise to women making their presence felt in the workplace.

Research has indicated that female managers outshine their male counterparts in nearly every measure. Female project managers are often more organised, dependable and amicable and their communications skills are much more highly developed.

“Ninety percent of a project manager’s job is taken up in communication and, as women are naturally adept communicators, it makes sense that women should be working in project management positions,” states Norbury.

“Mixed project management classes can sometimes deter ladies from attending courses which could be very beneficial to their learning and their place of employment. We feel that women are missing the opportunity to learn these needed skills and so we have designed courses specifically targeted at females only. Even the trainers, as project managers, are women. We hope this will give ladies the chance to finally engage in project management training in a comfortable environment which is productive to their learning”.

While project management began as a technical and engineering function, it has now spread to the industrialised world and even accelerated growth in developing nations. The widespread adoption of project management practice means education in the skills needed to manage projects effectively for a successful result has become even more necessary.