Following the success of the 2020 edition of the e-learning initiative launched by Dubai Culture and Arts Authority (Dubai Culture) in partnership with LinkedIn to empower creative talents in Dubai and the UAE with knowledge and educational support, the Authority announced the return of this initiative to provide creative talents and entrepreneurs in Dubai’s creative sector with the opportunity to register in an expanded package of free educational courses.

The e-learning initiative comes within the framework of the strategic cooperation between Dubai Culture and LinkedIn, the largest professional network in the world, to support members of the creative community in facing the challenges imposed by COVID-19. Similar to the 2020 edition, the 2022 edition also aims to provide an educational membership opportunity for members of the creative and artistic industries as well as enable them to obtain educational courses and workshops across many fields. Under the agreement, the Authority will bear the costs of these courses, making them available for free via the LinkedIn e-learning platform.

Shaima Rashed Al Suwaidi, Director of Marketing & Corporate Communication Department at Dubai Culture, affirmed the Authority’s commitment to supporting creative talents in Dubai and the UAE via public-private partnerships, saying: “By returning with a new edition of the e-learning initiative, we affirm our commitment to continuously working with our partners and empowering members of the creative community in Dubai and the UAE by investing our capabilities and expertise. Through our strategic cooperation with LinkedIn, we are providing a second opportunity for talents and entrepreneurs to explore educational opportunities and benefit from the training programmes offered on the LinkedIn platform.”

Al Suwaidistressed that this initiative isin line with Dubai Culture’s efforts to achieve its vision of cementing Dubai’s position as a global centre for culture, an incubator for creativity, and a thriving hub for talent. It also falls within the framework of the main role played by the Authority to support a stimulating system for the cultural and creative industries in the emirate in order to achieve the objectives of the Dubai Creative Economy Strategy of making the city the global capital of the creative economy by 2025.

16,000 training courses

The professional training courses that the initiative is providing to creative talents and entrepreneurs will include over 16,000 accredited and specialised training courses designed by a group of experienced international experts that aim to develop and refine the capabilities of creative professionals in the areas of business administration. The courses include digital business transformation; crisis management; business development; legal and financial matters; and creative skills that include photography, graphic design, electronic games design, product design, visual arts, films, and fashion, among other fields of creativity and business management.

The 2022 version of the e-learning initiative will also include a series of monthly workshops aimed at educating community members about best practices in building a professional personal profile on social media platforms, in cooperation with LinkedIn experts in this regard.

Dubai Culture will provide the link for the initiative on its digital platforms that will send those interested to the registration page on the Authority’s website www.dubaiculture.ae., where they can fill in their personal information, select their desired specialisation, and provide a link to view their business and personal experience profiles. The specialised team at Dubai Culture will collect applicants’ data and select those who are qualified to participate, according to the specified criteria. The opportunity to participate in this initiative is available to members of the creative community in the UAE across all their specialisations.

The first edition of the initiative attracted 2,000 registered users, who spent about 1,482 hours on the platform from 20 June – 20 November 2020. 6,216 training courses were also offered and 916 were completed.