Mit der Unterstützung großer internationaler Bildungsanbieter werden 27 neue Technical Colleges of Excellence (Kompetenzzentren) im September im Königreich eröffnet.
27 new colleges to train 53,000 citizens for jobs
Twenty-seven new technical colleges of excellence will be opened across the
        Kingdom in September with the support of major international service providers,
        Labor Minister Adel Fakeih announced on Wednesday.
        
        Speaking at a workshop
        organized jointly by the Education and Labor Ministries, he said the new
        colleges would accommodate 53,000 Saudis and provide them with advanced
        technical training.
        
        He said four million Saudi graduates would enter the
        job market over the next 10 years. Some 600,000 Saudis, including 300,000
        university graduates and 330,000 high school graduates, flood the market every
        year.
        
        The workshop participants discussed plans to align the Kingdom's
        education programs with its job requirements. "This will play a big role in
        reducing unemployment in the country," he said.
        
        The two ministries would
        carry out joint programs to enlighten Saudis on the importance of technical and
        post-school training.
        
        The Organization for Economic Cooperation and
        Development has stated that 40 percent of jobs in future would require technical
        and professional skills.
        
        Fakeih said the colleges of excellence would be
        established with the support of leading service providers in the field. "This
        will not only improve the quality of education and training but also help the
        Kingdom meet its job market requirements," he said.
        
        In a related
        development, Ahmed Al-Fehaid, deputy labor minister for international affairs,
        urged labor-exporting countries to inform their citizens about Saudi laws and
        provide them with skills development training. He said in Geneva that Saudi
        Arabia receives workers from over 100 countries, many of whom have contributed
        to the Saudi economic development.