Foundations Newsletter

Sharjah Men’s College launched their Technical Studies Program at the beginning of January 2017, this article reports on an interview with Sawsan Zghir, the Course Team Leader (CTL) now piloting the innovative program.

Sawsan Zghir

About the Course

This new diploma is a one-year vocational course, which has an 8-month taught component followed by 3 months of work placement in selected companies arranged by HCT. The first 16 weeks of classroom based learning focus on general core courses, such as: the fundamentals of business communication, IT, and HR. Each unit develops the skills and knowledge required by employers in a range of business settings. The exit qualification provides transferable skills, knowledge and understanding that can be applied in any business setting.

For the most part, students enrolling in the course want to follow the fast-track to their vocation and are eager to develop the skills to help them to get a job. The course is aimed at students interested in joining the workforce as soon as possible; specifically, those who do not want to spend an extended time in higher education. They want to get their diploma and join the work force, although some of them may return to college in the future to study for a more specialized major.

The TSP coursework is challenging – students have to become proficient in the language of business. They are expected to learn technical terms and genre specific vocabulary related to the workplace. To pass the course, students have to be focused, disciplined and prepared to study extra hours. The course is accredited by the NCFE (Northern Council of Further Education from the UK), and credits gained from the course have a grade equivalence with government standards.

Currently, 19 students are enrolled on the TSP and they are expected to graduate around the end of this year

Tim Beers with TSP Students

TSP Students On Task

.