College of the North Atlantic - Qatar (CNA-Q) officially launched four new diploma programmes yesterday in the areas of Business Studies, Health Sciences and Security.
The programmes are in Banking, Advanced Care Paramedicine, Dental Hygiene and Emergency Management. They are a direct result of consultation with local government and industry in order to train graduates in the careers that will be vital to the continued growth of Qatar.
“The purpose of a community college is to respond to the needs of local students and industry,” said Dr Ken MacLeod, president of CNA-Q.
Since 2002, CNA-Q has led the way with new and innovative programming designed to meet the needs of Qatar’s growing economy, he explained. “Our graduates are renowned across Qatar for being able to move from the classroom to the worksite with little transition,” Dr MacLeod claimed.
The Banking programme offers a one-year certificate and two-year diploma option, both empowering graduates with problem-solving abilities, the ability to work in a team environment and be able to work in today’s ever-changing business environment.
The programmes are tailored to local industry, with courses developed to comply with the rules and regulations of both Qatari and international law.
The Advanced Care Paramedicine programme, with two completion points, was developed to meet the professional practice standards of critical care practitioners in Qatar.
After six semesters, graduates receive the Primary Care Paramedicine diploma, making them eligible to be licensed as ambulance care paramedicine. After 10 semesters, graduates receive the Advanced Care Paramedicine diploma, making them eligible to work as Critical Care Paramedics with Hamad Medical Corporation’s ambulance service.
The Dental Hygiene programme, the first of its kind in Qatar, was instituted after local advisory committees identified a need for locally-trained Dental Hygienists. Students in this programme will complete a combination of traditional classroom education and hands-on clinical training at CNA-Q’s own state-of-the-art dental clinic.
The Emergency Management Diploma also will have two exit points, a certificate in emergency management after one year of studies and a diploma in Emergency Management for those who graduate from the two-year programme and complete all required professional certifications.
Graduates of the diploma programme will be employed as vital partners in local sectors, including oil and gas, petrochemical, transportation, healthcare, government agencies and with international humanitarian organisations.
All of these new programmes take advantage of the purpose-built laboratories and classrooms at CNA-Q, including a model bank, a fully-functioning emergency bay, an operational and licensed live patient dental clinic and several security labs that mimic real-world scenarios.
Dr MacLeod pointed out that CNA-Q graduates are being trained in growing fields as Qatar continues its phenomenal rate of growth and change.
“As the country moves towards recognising the plans laid out in Qatar National Vision 2030 and towards the enormous task of hosting the 2022 World Cup, these graduates will provide expertise in their fields,” he added.