This Day in History (2012): Women in Business looks to help women in the workforce

From the Aug. 15, 2012, edition of The Arabian Sun

Why does Saudi Aramco need a "Women in Business (WiB)" program?

Over the past two years, this has been a frequently asked question. Fortunately -- due in large part to the vast array of activities presently taking place in the area of Saudi female development -- this question has an answer.

One only needs to look around our work environment to see that the number of women employed by the company is increasing. Current influences have helped raise awareness that gender diversity is an essential business requirement.

These influences include the Kingdom's progressive approach to female education and development, and the introduction of the Accelerated Transformation Program that will lead Saudi Aramco into the future as a leading-edge global company.

"We have to prepare the young women for our work environment and business culture," said Huda M. Al-Ghoson, executive director of Employee Relations and Training.

To meet this goal, Al-Ghoson sponsored the "Women in Business" program, launched in April 2010, in Dhahran. The workshop is intended for Saudi female employees with less than 10 years of company service who are poised to become the frontrunners of the Saudi workforce of the future.

Since the program's inception, 22 three-day sessions have been conducted with a total of 375 women participating in this unique and groundbreaking experience.

The purpose of the program is to help women become successful in the workplace by improving their understanding and commitment to corporate culture and values, as well as their ability to identify, communicate, and capitalize on their own strengths as women in a team-oriented work environment.

The workshop includes a variety of class discussions, role plays, brainstorming, and other activities that develop personal and professional awareness and skills designed to increase their capacity to add value in the workplace.

Caption for the top photo: Tracy Olckers gives a presentation on the Women in Business program.

Also on this date

2020 — Russia begins production of the Sputnik V COVID-19 vaccine

2013 — The Smithsonian announces the discovery of the olinguito, the first new carnivorous species found in the Americas in 35 years

2007 — An 8.0-magnitude earthquake off the Pacific coast devastates Ica and various regions of Peru, killing 514 and injuring over 1,000

1998 — Apple introduces the iMac computer

1995 — Shannon Faulkner becomes the first female cadet matriculated at The Citadel, though she would drop out less than a week later

1977 — The Big Ear, a radio telescope operated by Ohio State University as part of the SETI project, receives a radio signal from deep space; the event is called the "Wow! signal" from the notation made by a volunteer on the project

1971 — Bahrain gains independence from the U.K.

1963 — Henry John Burnett becomes the last man executed by hanging in Scotland

1952 — A flash flood strikes the town of Lynmouth, England, killing 34 people

1947 — India gains independence from British rule after nearly 190 years of British company and crown rule

1935 — Will Rogers and Wiley Post are killed after their aircraft develops engine problems during takeoff in Barrow, Alaska

1914 — The Panama Canal opens to traffic

1899 — Fratton Park football ground in Portsmouth, England, is officially first opened

1843 — Tivoli gardens, one of the oldest still intact amusement parks in the world, oens in Copenhagen, Denmark

1519 — Panama City, Panama, is founded