RIYADH, 30 November 2004 — The Riyadh Chamber of Commerce & Industry (RCCI), represented by Vocational Training Development Center, has signed a cooperation agreement with ALJ Fund for Vocational Training and Development. Dr. Abdullah ibn Jalawi Al-Shaddadi, the RCCI’s adviser for information and training, and Ibrahim Badawood, senior manager, ALJ Programs for Community Services, signed the accord.
Under the agreement, the RCCI will have the obligation of determining the professions in which job opportunities should be provided for young Saudis. This will be done by studying the needs of the national labor market and documentation of the findings with initial or preliminary contracts.
Under the agreement, the chamber will also have an inventory of job opportunities available in the private sector, choose appropriate training opportunities for candidates and implement qualifying training programs for them. These obligations are in addition to that of attracting those seeking jobs through Saudi employment offices and providing vocational and other job counseling.
On its part, ALJ Fund will share the efforts aimed to attract jobseekers and find job opportunities for them. The fund will also conduct personal interviews and provide loans for those taking part in training programs. The fund will also sign financial guarantee contracts and collect dues from trainees after they obtain jobs.
Arrangements are under way to make available 30 job opportunities for young Saudis each month during the first months of 2005, with a total of 500 job opportunities during that year. The agreement comes into effect from January.
Badwood said ALJ Fund was keen to cooperate with all the entities concerned with providing training and development opportunities. “The fund is also keen to extend its services to all parts of the Kingdom,” he added.