The latest cohort of women from Thuwal and Qadimah has just completed Springboard Training at KAUST.
As part of its Capabilities Development Program, the Social Responsibility department of Strategic National Advancement sponsors the delivery of Springboard, a women’s development program comprising four workshops and a home study element, to women in Thuwal. Social Responsibility organized the first series of seminars in Thuwal in 2013, and has run a total of nine courses to date.
The program is designed to equip women with the tools and confidence to set and achieve goals. Course participants learn about how to take realistic steps to create positive change through self-assessment, identifying and enhancing skills, problem solving, networking, image-building, assertiveness, and how to recognize and take advantage of opportunities.
After the four training workshops, the participants attended a graduation ceremony, where they were joined by previous graduates of the Springboard program. Many of the guests made moving speeches describing how the training had helped them in various ways, and all of them mentioned discovering the confidence to believe in themselves. One past student had been told in the first year of her university degree that she did not have the attributes to be successful. She participated in the Springboard program, completed her studies and, on the day she made the speech to the recent graduates, was delighted to announce that she had been called for interview for her dream job. Other previous students have subsequently set up their own businesses, in areas including photography and textiles. Students say their communication skills have improved, they have become more receptive and more adept at sharing skills. One participant said that the training had improved the way she worked and several said that they were able to share the skills and knowledge they had developed through the course with their families, friends and work colleagues.
Shams Al Abdali, an independent Springboard trainer based in Jeddah, has been delivering Springboard training for eight years. She said “Springboard courses are delivered across the globe. Issues that women face in Thuwal are faced by women of all ages, nationalities and abilities, all over the world. Springboard helps women realize this and empowers them to discover that the ability to change and succeed is within them. When I was trained to be a Springboard trainer, my instructor said that by delivering Springboard, I would be developed as well. This is very true – each time I run a course, I learn something new about me and others that contributes to my personal and career development. There is always something more to learn about oneself.”
At the close of the graduation ceremony, Maha Aldubayan, Manager of Social Responsibility, congratulated the women on completing the course, assuring them of a continued relationship with KAUST, through further programs, events and opportunities.Over 180 women from Thuwal have now been through KAUST’s Springboard program and for many the benefits have been truly life changing. Social Responsibility co-ordinates a range of educational and well-being initiatives with the aim of supporting the economic development and social prosperity of our neighbors. Springboard is a key element in that it delivers an almost immediate and tangible impact. For more information on the Springboard project organized by Social Responsibility, and how it fits with our other programs, explore the Strategic Areas page.
Part of the Capabilities Development Program - read more in the Program Overview here.
March 21, 2018
