CERTX - Professional Certification: The Driving Force Behind a Knowledge-Based Economy

Exhibitors:

Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) • University of Business and Technology • Morgan International • Oakwood • The KPI Institute • Middle East Logistics Institute • Riyadh Chamber of Commerce • IRU • The Association of Accounts and Financial Professionals in Business (IMA) • The Association for Financial Professionals (AFP)® • The Bradfield Group • Laimoon • Roshcomm • Resource Inspection Canada Incorporated (RICI) • Disaster Recovery Institute International (DRI) • BAE Systems Saudi Development & Training (SDT) • CompTIA • CIFA Arabia • The Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply (CIPS) • Innovation Training • Bahrain Institute of Banking and Finance (BIBF) • ISACA • International School of Management (ISM) • EPI • Saudi Council of Engineers • ACFE • ncfe • Cisco • Moody’s Analytics • Westford • Bayt • Crowe Horwath International • London School of Business and Finance • Al Alamiah for Training & Education • Saudi Organization for Certified Public Accountants (SOCPA) • Prometric • IIBA • LEORON • Saudi Authority for Accredited Valuers (Taqeem) • Bakkah Inc. • NBIZ Infosol • Managerial & Financial Training Center (MFTC) • PWCs Academy • Al-Khaleej training and Education • Valuable Excellence Services • Institute of Finance (IOF) • PMI-KSA • IIA •

Conference Programme

	Tuesday,16th May, 2017
08:00	Registration and coffee break
09:00	Welcome note, Khalid Al Hafta, Chairman, Organising Committee,
09:05	Opening address
09:15	Opening panel discussion: Saudi Arabia 2030 Vision – How can professional certification trigger a new generation of highly skilled and knowledgeable workers? How can KSA create the next generation of professionally qualified workforce that supports its economic plans? How to effectively build a sustainable partnership with certification and training providers Creating a successful national-level plan for anticipating and building professional competencies for future needs How can KSA ensure broader access to training opportunities for professional certification Panelists Abdullah Al Osaimi, FCIPS General Manager, Global Projects Procurement SABIC Haytham Abdulrahman Al Ohali Managing Director Cisco Saudi Arabia Sultan Al Jorais Vice President (Shared Services) Saudi Authority for Accredited Valuers ( Taqeem ) Moderated by Khaled Elmobkey Human Capital Strategy, Transformation and Change Management Advisor
10:10	Networking coffee break
10:30	Panel discussion: The role of Saudi organisations in developing a skilled, competent and competitive human capital via professional certification How can organisations create an effective employee orientation towards the right skills development? What are the common myths about professional certification and how can we overcome them? How can supervisors/managers support their employees in acquiring professional certifications? How can certified employees help train other employees and managers within the organisation? Panelists Dr Abdulatif Al-Shaikh CEO BAE Systems Saudi Development and Training Jim Kaitz President and Chief Executive Officer Association for Financial Professionals – AFP Mamdouh Najjar National Technology Officer Microsoft Arabia Moderated by Waheed Al Kahtani President Association for Fraud Examiners, KSA
11:25	Panel discussion: Are you certifiable? Aligning your certification programme to the local job market requirements There's good reason why so many Saudi professionals get professional certification. According to the latest salary surveys, those with professional certificates earn considerably more or are prime candidates for promotions. In an interactive discussion, experts discuss how Saudi professionals should prepare for professional certification programmes. What should you look for while choosing a professional certification programme? How can you avoid disappointment by choosing the most suitable certification programme for today’s job market requirements? How to plan for the certification exam? Panelists Alastair Tyler Director The London Institute of Banking and Finance Lyndon Bird Chief Knowledge Officer DRI International Saad M. Al-Sayari Director General of Human Resources Ministry of Commerce and Investment Waheed Al Kahtani President Association for Fraud Examiners, KSA Moderated by Vijay Srivastava Regional Head of Training and Certification Moodys
12:15	Lunch and prayer break
13:15	Panel discussion : Role of professional certification in bridging the gap between educational programmes and the job market Can certification programmes provide a solution to bridging the gap between education programmes and the job market? In an interactive discussion, this panel will examine how certification programmes offer targeted learning to address specific skills gaps. The discussion will highlight how certification programmes tend to require fewer resources than traditional degree programmes, in the form of time and monetary commitment. How does professional certification develop the knowledge, skills and abilities needed for enhanced job performance in Saudi? How can certification programmes create a sense of confidence in employees who are trained with the knowledge and skills to do their jobs? Learning from worldwide case studies Panelists Marwan Al Shafie Human Capital Advisor Robert Garcia Global Vice President SHRM Steve Wallace Director CFA Institute Moderated by Amir Dhia Director Continuing Education Center (CEC), University of Business and Technology(UBT)
14:15	Panel discussion: Needs and challenges in the development of professional certification exams Latest studies have shown that a considerable portion of organisations which provide professional certification use informal, improvised mechanisms and processes in the exam development process. The importance of professional certifications and the exams that support them mean that the methods by which tests are created and administered needs to be well structured, uniform and rigorous. Leading experts will share useful insights that will show human resource managers and other leaders how they should carefully pick and choose professional certification programmes they recommend for their staff/organisations. Panelists Anas Orwani Director IIBA, KSA Frank Schettini Chief Innovation Officer ISACA Khaled Elmobkey Human Capital Strategy, Transformation and Change Management Advisor Mihai Toma Head of Professional Practice MENA The KPI Institute Moderated by Dr. Fahad Al Twaijry Technology and Management Consultant, KSA
15:15	Networking and prayer break
15:45	Panel discussion: Collaboration of the certification providers, government and employers to drive human capital development It is the need of the hour that certification providers, trainers, educators, regulators, employers and other institutions should come together to provide accurate information on the current trends in job market. This will result in students and professionals investing their time and resources in certification programmes that has greater earning potential and better career prospects. Similarly training providers can direct their resources to develop courses and programmes leading to better paying jobs or current market needs. What can employers, training providers and government regulators do to create such a partnership? Panelists Dennis O’Donnell Chief Executive Officer Oakwood International Ltd Eng. Mohammed Mahmoud Executive Director MILE Jason MacKenzie President Chartered Institute of Public Relations Patrick Phillip Head of IRU Academy IRU Moderated by Dr Mohammad Rishad Faridi Asst. Professor, College of Business Prince Sattam bin Abdulaziz University
16:30	Chairman closing remarks and open networking session