Vocational training program planned

(MENAFN- Arab News) Labor minister adel fakeih recently announced that his ministry is working on an 'important project" which seeks to curb unemployment rates among saudis

The rate of unemployment in the kingdom was pegged at 11.5 percent at the end of the fourth quarter of 2013 according to data released by the ministry.

Fakieh explained that the project aims to empower saudi youth to possess vocational skills at an early age

He added that the ministry would establish specialized departments that provide support to students within school premises. the ministry would also help students find jobs by coordinating with the private sector in order to allow youth to develop their skills and acquire a strong work ethic.

'many colleges in the kingdom have already been doing this for the past three years" said maha bawazeer education consultant and member of the private and international school committee at the jeddah chamber of commerce and industry

'i believe that every organization should provide vocational training depending on the skills each job requires" she said. 'for example if i have been recruited to work in a hospital the hospital needs to train me for the position they hired me to work in regardless of my qualifications. the same goes for other jobs.

Bawazeer indicated that vocational training is an easy and effective way to educate saudi youth adding that the move would have a positive impact on nationalizing the private sector

'as schools and other institutions introduce vocational training saudi youth will be able to compete with expatriates in the private sector" she said.

In a major move to cut down reliance on foreign workers the government last year rolled out a skills and training action plan that promised to meet the shortfall of skilled workers in the local market. ali bin nasser al-ghafis governor of the technical and vocational training corporation (tvtc) revealed that 450000 young saudi men and women would be trained in different vocations over a period of five years under the plan

Al-ghafis said the state-owned tvtc was working to set up 300 new vocational training facilities across the kingdom. 'all these vocational training centers — for both men and women — will be operational within three years.

The kingdom has revolutionized the labor market and invested in education to increase employment opportunities for saudi nationals but most saudis continue to seek employment in the public sector due to higher wages and shorter working hours.

The kingdom has moved to reform the labor market since 2011 to boost private sector employment including introducing unemployment allowance revamping the saudization program that sets quotas for saudi employees in businesses and establishing a minimum wage for saudi workers in the public sector

However according to many experts the kingdom's nationalization policies might not deliver the desired long-term results unless the policies are accompanied by other reforms especially in the private sector.