RIYADH, 25 May 2004 — The Human Resources Development Forum began in earnest yesterday with presentations from international experts on their experience with manpower development.
At a workshop, an Irish human resources expert said the key strategy of his country was to support creation of a new generation of internationally competitive companies.
The head of human resources at Enterprise Ireland, Liam O’Donohoe, said at one point 40 percent of the Irish population was under 25 — an experience similar to Saudi Arabia’s current predicament.
From a difficult economic position of high unemployment, high inflation and international debt, Ireland achieved robust growth and an exceptional pool of human resources, “due to its planned integrated industrial development policy,” he said.
This was helped by over 1,000 overseas companies choosing Ireland as their European base.
To generate jobs and fill them with the right people, private sector skills needs should be fulfilled, new universities and colleges should open and the country should at least double its software graduates.
Michael Hopkins of MHC International reviewed the human resources development experience of a set of countries that share common cultural and socio-economic values with the Kingdom: Tunisia, Egypt, Malaysia and other countries with oil-based economies.
He focused on the “Job Futures” initiative, whose purpose is to help countries in the Arab world close the gap between supply and demand in the labor market.
The initiative aims to provide students, training institutions and career guidance specialists with information on educational and occupational choices and use what are called “labor market signals” to respond to evolving market demand.
