With the Middle East’s live events industry developing faster than ever before, training is becoming increasingly important to ensure that professionals in the region are equipped with the skills and knowledge to keep pace with the speed of growth. Aiming to cater to this flourishing demand is JAM Training, which provides a diverse range of general and event-specific courses available in the GCC for the first time, catering to both individuals and organisations.
Launched in February 2024 by JAM Event Services, JAM Training is the third arm of the growing JAM empire, which started in the UK in 2014 before opening its Dubai HQ in 2017 and its Saudi Arabia office in 2021. “Training is something that fits into the larger business perfectly,” began JAM’s Managing Director, James Mistry, explaining how the company started with JAM Safety before launching JAM People and now JAM Training. “We’ve been working on developing our training offering for a long time, having seen a clear need in the industry.”
The JAM Training vision is to offer a range of off-the-shelf, accredited courses that sit next to a bespoke package of courses that are custom-designed and delivered by the JAM Training team. “We’ve taken the same approach as we have used with the other business units, which involves partnering with other selected individuals and organisations that share our values,” Mistry revealed, citing the examples of NEBOSH and Highfield International as two such organisations. “We’ve also identified several gaps in the market, which we aim to fill with our bespoke courses.”
JAM Training caters to both industry newcomers and those who are more experienced and looking to take on some professional development. “The industry is changing all the time and professional development is becoming increasingly important for those looking to stay on top of their game,” Mistry stated. “At the same time, if we take the example of Saudi Arabia, where we get hundreds of job applications every month from young people looking to get into the industry but who don’t know where to start, there’s a massive opportunity there to help this budding young workforce upskill and break into the industry. This also aligns with the Saudi Vision 2030 in investing in the education of Saudi citizens and growing the employment rate.”
With Saudi Arabia a key target market for JAM Training, Mistry was pleased to report that 90% of the courses will be offered in both English and Arabic. “For a predominantly Arabic-speaking country, Saudi had very few industry-specific training courses available in Arabic,” he recalled. “This is a key point for us. If we’re not offering our courses in a language that most people in the country understand, then we are missing the mark.”
JAM Training’s Lead Trainer Julien Saade speaks both English and Arabic fluently and has been in the world of training for many years. Coming from working at some of the largest event production companies in KSA and UAE before moving into the training world, Saade is well placed to head up delivery.
The company has also partnered with Dr Keith Still – widely recognised as the ‘Godfather of Crowd Science’, who played a pivotal role serving as the Lead Advisor to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabian government for the redesign and upgrading of the Jamaraat bridge at Hajj for 11 years. “To work with someone with 30 years of Crowd Management experience, who understands the local culture and to be able to add our own local understanding and deliver his courses in Arabic is a huge win for us,” Mistry commented. “It’s another step towards delivering what we set out to do, which is having a genuine impact and making change.”
JAM will offer accredited Level 3 and Level 5 Crowd Management and Crowd Science courses face to face, online and via self-paced e-learning. Mistry said: “To be able to learn at your own pace online for these crowd courses is a massive step in making accredited education of crowd management accessible for all.”
With training centres in Dubai, Riyadh, Jeddah and Neom as well as various online and hybrid training offerings, there are no shortage of options for those looking to boost their skillset. “We live and breathe the events industry and we know and understand what is needed and where the gaps are,” Mistry stated. “We’re offering courses in sustainability and mental health – both of which have been attracting a lot of interest. Then there’s our off-the-shelf offerings in partnership with NEBOSH delivering the IGC, as well as Highfield International such as first aid and fire safety. It’s great to have the buy-in of these large international organisations.”
For Mistry, it’s vital that the training is easily accessible. “We wanted to create a platform that is open to a wide spectrum of people,” he explained. “We don’t want geography or timings to be something that gets in the way of people taking part in the courses, so we offer face-to-face, hybrid and virtual options. We’re also developing more e-learning opportunities so people can log on at any time of the day, pick a course and start learning. It’s all about giving options to increase accessibility and help people further their careers.”
Mistry concluded by explaining how JAM Training feeds into the ecosystem of the wider JAM Group, offering a “full 360° cycle” that could see participants gain not only new knowledge but also put them on the road to gainful employment. “We see JAM Training as the prequel to JAM Safety and JAM People,” he said. “Not only can people get educated and train with us, but they can also get experience with us and ultimately gets jobs within the industry, all through the JAM ecosystem.”
Photos: JAM Training
