JEDDAH, 25 July 2004 — Labor Minister Dr. Ghazi Al-Gosaibi honored the National Commercial Bank (NCB) for taking the lead in establishing necessary channels for job placement.
The labor minister said the ministry was working to bring employment and training programs together. Al-Gosaibi called upon businessmen to help strengthen the relationship between the Ministry of Labor and the private sectors through training and hiring.
He said approval had been given for the setting up of 20 industrial colleges that will train 60,000 people and 39 institutions that will train 40,000. An industrial military training program was also under way, Dr. Al-Gosaibi said.
Naef Al-Bashir, director of the department of banking services for commercial establishments and companies at the NCB, was given a plaque at a ceremony to mark the graduation of the 11th group held at the chamber of commerce in Riyadh.
Al-Bashir spoke about the bank’s efforts to train young Saudis and assist them in finding jobs. These endeavors show the bank’s commitment to the Saudization process, he said. By cultivating and developing human resources, the Saudi market’s demand for national capabilities can be fulfilled, he added. He said the NCB was a pioneer, having launched the summer training program 22 years ago.
He pointed out that the bank employed 1,400 people from various fields of specialization, between 2001 and 2004. The percentage of Saudis exceeded 84. It reached 90 percent in top and middle management position, in addition to administrative positions in personal banking.
Al-Bashir said the bank accepted 82 trainees for the Riyadh summer training program for this year. The trainees, men and women, have educational backgrounds that range form high school up to college levels.
The bank recently signed an agreement with the employment agency at the chamber of commerce in Riyadh, in an act of mutual collaboration to train Saudi youth and assist them in job placement.
