More than 12,000 GCC national students across more than 100 centres in the GCC region have enrolled for the International Computer Driving Licence (ICDL) program at the 2009 ICDL summer training camps.

In the UAE, the summer camps comprise 3,800 UAE national students, and are held by Abu Dhabi Educational Council with the cooperation of educational zones in Abu Dhabi and Dubai, Western Region, Sharjah and the Northern Emirates.

In Bahrain and Qatar, the ICDL summer training camps are held by the Ministry of Education and the Higher Council of Education respectively, consisting of 1,000 national students under the age of 12 years in each country

The ICDL GCC Foundation, the governing body and certification authority of ICDL, recognizes the support of local educational ministries and zones and all the corporate sponsors for their continued support for ICDL’s digital awareness.

As a result of their contributions and efforts, the annual ICDL summer camps have become one of the most anticipated summer activities all over the Gulf region. Thousands of students from all over the region continue to benefit from the ICDL training and testing program year after year, which shows the strong interest of the youth towards the development of their computer skills.

The growing success of this program has boosted ICDL GCC Foundation team’s enthusiasm to sustain efforts toward developing creative initiatives that help promote digital awareness throughout the society.

The participants of the summer program will undergo extensive IT training according to the globally recognised ICDL standard. By the end of summer, the participants are expected to achieve the ICDL certification, after passing the tests and affirming that they have acquired relevant IT skills and knowledge.

The skills they acquire will encourage students to become resourceful, self confident and assume more responsibility in their learning process.

Endorsed by education ministries, universities and government organizations worldwide, ICDL is an inclusive digital literacy program that empowers individuals with the essential concepts of computer and practical use of common desktop applications.

The program is based on a recognized global standard acknowledged through testing and proves that the certificate holder has fundamental skills in IT, using the computer and managing files, word processing, spreadsheet, database, presentation, and information and communication (Internet and e-mail).

The ICDL syllabus also offers a broader perspective on computer netiquettes by focusing on responsible use of computers and Internet, covering important social areas such as intellectual property rights, virus protection and recycling. – TradeArabia News Service