Saudi plans 300 training centres to boost job market

VOCATION CENTRES: Saudi Arabia is building 300 centres in a bid to reduce the reliance on foreign labour in industries such as construction. (Getty Images - for illustrative purposes only)

Saudi officials have drawn up plans to build 300 technical and vocational centres to train local children up in a bid to reduce the country’s dependence on foreign workers in many sectors.

Construction of some of the campuses are already underway, an official said, with a view to accommodating about 50,000 new trainees.

The Technical and Vocational Training Corporation (TVTC), the government-run agency, has also embarked on a major project to revise the outdated curricula and training programmes.

“It has become imperative to revise courses keeping in view the fundamental changes that have taken place in the texts, strategies and overall technical education system,” Ali al-Ghafees, TVTC governor, said in comments published by Arab News on Tuesday.

Ghafees, speaking on the sidelines of the fifth Saudi Technical Conference and Exhibition, said the new training programmes were being formulated according to the needs of the local labour market.

Referring to the establishment of new technical and vocational centers, he said plans are afoot to set up 36 higher learning facilities for young women.

“Construction work is already under way for some campuses. There is an urgent need to polish the skills of young Saudi boys and girls, who will eventually enter the job market,” he told the paper.

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