09/01/2025

FCD Training in Your Mother Tongue: A Transformative Option

Khalifa Alslahi & Mahmood Almaawali

As certified career counselors and educators committed to advancing career development in the Arab world, we recently had the opportunity to deliver the NCDA Facilitating Career Development (FCD) training program in Qatar entirely in Arabic for the first time. This experience was both rewarding and enlightening—not just for our participants, but for us as instructors. It reaffirmed the importance of language, cultural context, and the power of localized training in creating deeper impact and accessibility.

Understanding FCD Training

The Facilitating Career Development (FCD) program, developed by the National Career Development Association (NCDA), is a comprehensive training designed to build core competencies for individuals working in career services. Whether the participant is a career counselor, advisor, educator, or human resource (HR) professional, the FCD program equips them with tools grounded in theory, ethics, labor market insights, and practical application.

Originally, the program was delivered in English, which limited access for professionals in regions where English is not the primary language. Translations to benefit the MENA region recently became a goal of NCDA, as other translations have already been successful. For example, since 2011, a representative from Taiwan and Greater China has translated and localized the curriculum for use in these countries, including Beijing, Shanghai, Tianjin and Chongqing. By bringing FCD to Qatar in Arabic, we were able to bridge this gap and make the program more relevant, engaging, and inclusive for local practitioners.

Why Language Matters

Language is more than just a medium of instruction—it is a vital part of identity, understanding, and connection. Delivering the program in Arabic made a noticeable difference in learner engagement and comprehension. Participants felt more confident expressing themselves, asking questions, and reflecting on their work in a language that resonated with their lived experience.

We witnessed how the use of native language unlocked a deeper level of dialogue and reflection. For Arabic speakers, complex concepts such as career theories, ethical standards, and assessment interpretation became more accessible when explained and discussed in Arabic.

The Power of Localization

Effective localization goes beyond translation. It involves adapting every aspect of the training—language, examples, delivery, and assessment—to reflect the audience’s cultural and professional context. In Qatar, we made several intentional adaptations:

• Program Name: We renamed the course to become Tawjeeh, instead of the standard FCD name, which means “Guidance” in Arabic—a culturally resonant term that aligns with regional values of mentorship and support.
• Instructors: As native Arabic-speaking and NCDA-certified instructors, we ensured that delivery was not only linguistically accurate but also culturally meaningful.
• Course Materials: All course materials were in Arabic, thanks to the professional Arabic translation of the FCD materials offered by the NCDA for the first time in early 2024. Well-translated materials are key in ensuring accurate understanding of the course content and skills required from career professionals. 
• Assessment and Case Studies: We localized materials to reflect issues relevant to Qatari society, such as scholarship decisions, public sector career paths, and family expectations around career choice.
• Peer Engagement: Shared cultural understanding among participants fostered open dialogue, group support, and powerful peer learning moments.

The Qatar Experience

Our first Arabic FCD cohort, part of a national upskilling initiative, included counselors from schools, universities, government offices, and corporate HR departments. Many participants had been working in guidance roles for years but had never experienced a formal structure for career development aligned with international best practices.

One counselor expressed how Tawjeeh helped her validate her instincts through theory. Another redesigned their institution’s advising framework using practical tools from the course. These outcomes would not have been possible without delivering the program in Arabic, a cultural framework shared by the instructors, participants, and participants’ employers and work settings.

NCDA’s Critical Support

This milestone could not have been achieved without the proactive and unwavering support of NCDA. NCDA welcomed the idea of localizing the FCD program and provided the training materials, certification processes, and flexibility we needed to adapt it effectively.

Their willingness to extend the reach of FCD to non-English-speaking regions reinforces NCDA’s commitment to global impact and inclusive training practices. NCDA is also following up the FCD translation with a release of a new Arabic assessment for the Certified Career Service Provider (CCSP) credential.

Transformative Potential

Delivering the FCD course as Tawjeh in Arabic has demonstrated the transformative potential of training in one’s mother tongue. It allowed participants to fully engage with the material, relate it to their daily practice, and strengthen their professional confidence.

We thank NCDA for their trust and partnership, and we salute our first cohort in Qatar for their enthusiasm, dedication, and belief in the power of guidance. Together, we are building a future where career development is more inclusive, culturally grounded, and accessible to all—one language at a time.

^{Khalifa Alslahi, with Qatari Finance and Business Academy,
signs an agreement with NCDA President, Marty Apodaca
at the 2025 NCDA Conference in Atlanta.}

Dr. Khalifa Al Yafei, CCC, is the CEO of Qatar Finance & Business Academy (QFBA), has been an academic visionary and his professional background is quite exemplary for today’s new generation of Qatari youths. His influential biography boasts of his strong credentials in the education and development space. Dr. Alyafei is Certified Career Counselor from National Career Development Association with a demonstrated history of working in the higher education industry (12 + years). Has an extensive experience working with Qatari students in the areas of career counseling, student recruitment and coaching. Before his current role, Mr. Alyafei worked as the Director of Student Affairs and is a Lecturer at the Qatar Finance and Business Academy in collaboration with Northumbria University in Qatar, where he is responsible for the development of the student’s affairs department and responsible for lecturing Employability and Career Planning Module for Year 3 students. Dr. Alyafei holds a PhD in Higher Education from Lancaster University, where he also published various intriguing journals and white papers. Mr. Alyafei is a board member and country representative of MENASA NASPA conference which focuses on student affairs field in MENA region. He was also a board member of Qatar-UK Alumni Network. Dr.Alyafei undertook his Master’s degree at Penn State University (USA) in Career Counseling where he also worked as a Career Counselor at one of the biggest career centers in USA. Further, he holds a Bachelor's degree in Engineering from the University of Leeds (UK). He can be reached at k.alyafei@qfba.edu.qa 

Mahmood Almaawali, CCC, holds a PhD degree in Counselor Education & A Master's in Career Counseling from the Pennsylvania State University. He is a Certified FCD Trainer and a Certified Career Counselor by the NCDA with over 10 years of experience. He has lead and co-lead several training programs for government and private sectors in topics related to psychology and career development in Oman and Qatar. He is currently an assistant professor of counseling at Sultan Qaboos University, psychology department. His research centers around mental health of young adults and college students. He has published in many journals such as the Journal of Counseling and Development, Journal of Clinical Medicine, Journal of International Students, and BMC Psychology. He can be reached at mawali89@squ.edu.com