JEDDAH: The General Organization for Technical and Vocational Training (TVTC) plans to prepare four million job opportunities in the technical and vocational fields for young Saudis over the next decade, according to TVTC Gov. Ali ibn Nasser Al-Ghifais.
"The TVTC at present owns more than 200 training institutes all over the Kingdom in addition to 300 projects and training programs which will be fundamental in the plan," he said.
Al-Ghifais said less than 20 percent of the Saudi population has been educated beyond high school but that most of the employees in the sectors that could offer jobs for the lesser educated, such as factories, are foreign. "About 84 percent of the manpower in industrial factories are non-Saudis and 90 percent of them were not skilled labor when they came to our country. They obtained their skills through training here," he said.
The governor said that to achieve TVTC's strategic objectives his organization should study job development strategies from different countries, such as Germany, Canada, Britain, Ireland and Korea.
Meanwhile, human resources expert Abdullah Al-Sharif said the organization's plan is aimed at reducing the recruitment of unqualified foreign manpower.
"The training and qualifying of four million Saudi youths will change the map of foreign manpower in the Kingdom during the coming years," he said.
Al-Sharif, however, said the strategic plan does not mean closing the door on foreign workers; instead it means more carefully selecting the workers that are allowed into the Kingdom and making sure they have something to offer in terms of helping Saudis get the proper training.
One Saudi businessman who owns a business providing land transportation services to pilgrims said he would like to see TVTC train more Saudis to become bus drivers and mechanics.
He said that he is constantly importing foreign temps to perform these seasonal jobs.
"If I could find Saudi drivers I would not be spending money on air tickets for foreign workers, and paying them salaries (that they take home)," he said.
By GALAL FAKKAR
© Arab News 2010
