Saudische Medien zu den Themen Beschäftigung und berufliche Qualifizierung

Eine Anfang 2007 vorgestellte Studie von "James Zogby und McKinsey & Company" stellt fest, dass das Königreich in den nächsten 10 Jahren 3,5 Millionen neue Jobs für den Mittelstand schaffen muss. Das Saudische Arbeitsministerium verordnet Schulabgängern ein 4- bis 6-monatiges Trainingsprogramm durch die General Organization for Technical Education and Vocational Training (GOTEVOT).



Kingdom needs to create 3.5m new jobs, says study
ECONOMY | SAUDI ARABIA

2 Mar 2007
Government criticised for not partnering with private sector

The job market in Saudi Arabia will need to double within 10 years if it is to sustain itself, according to new research.

The kingdom must create 3.5 million new jobs in a decade, doubling the current market, according to James Zogby, president of the Arab American Institute.

The report by Zogby and McKinsey & Company, which looks at the middle class in Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and the UAE, was presented to the Jeddah Economic Forum in late February. Zogby said the need for new employment in the kingdom was becoming critical.

Despite the huge influx of petrodollars into the economy, the large numbers of young people in the Saudi population are not being properly used, according to attendees at the Forum.

“It is a frightening statistic and hard to see how these jobs will be created,” said one. “The only way it can happen is to create a blue-collar workforce. Training is the key to creating these jobs but most Saudis want to work in offices, not factories. Things are changing but not quickly enough to double the job market. At the same time, it is very hard to get visas for foreign workers. We are having to turn down work because we cannot bring in enough foreign labour and there are insufficient skilled Saudis.”

Another observer added: “Reducing the compulsory Saudisation on workers for government projects to 5 per cent is a good move but it does not help the private sector. The government is not partnering with the private sector. It is just trying to get Saudis into work today without creating a foundation of skills for the future.”




Saudi Job Seekers Now Must Enter Training Regimen

Under new guidelines issued by the Ministry of Labor, Saudi high school graduates who seek government job-placement services will be required to undergo a four-to-six month training program through the General Organization for Technical Education and Vocational
Training (GOTEVOT), a ministry official said yesterday.

"The measure is part of the Labor Ministry's efforts to reinforce the importance of employing only qualified and trained Saudis in the private sector," said Hattab Al-Inazi, the ministry spokesman. "No Saudi will be sent to a private company without him taking this mandatory training course."

The official said college graduates would be exempt from the requirement. Those that enter the program will be given stipends during the training and be guaranteed
jobs in the private sector, he added.

The move is aimed at addressing concerns that Saudis that have been applying for government job-placement campaigns lack the skills to succeed in the marketplace.
The Kingdom's job-placement program is part of its larger "Saudization" program aimed at reducing the country's dependence on imported guest workers.

The official unemployment rate is 9 percent for men and 22 percent for women.

GOTEVOT organized a symposium under the banner "Creating Job Opportunities" which was inaugurated by Riyadh Gov. Prince Salman Tuesday night.

Prince Salman said during his speech that "the Saudi government has supported training institutions by funding them with billions of riyals ... developing the talents of
Saudis is among the Kingdom's priorities."

On his part, Minister of Labor Ghazi Al-Gosaibi said combating unemployment needed the implementation of both traditional and innovative methods.

The traditional method is to provide jobs in the public and private sectors, he explained. The new measures include "creation of small projects by young Saudis where they can provide jobs for themselves," said the minister.

He cited the Centennial Fund as an example to the government'ssupport to small and medium-sizedbusinesses, noting that the fund had financed over 180 projects and 6,000 taxis (for Saudi cab drivers) in prevjousyears.

Al-Gosaibi said the Saudi citizen himself was the problem and the solution for unemployment. "The problem begins when people only think about importing foreign
labor while starting a new project," he said. "If Saudis got together and formed their own businesses, that would be a major step in combating unemployment."

The minister said that many large economies of the world relied on small institutions to employ their citizens.