RIYADH, 19 July 2005 — The SR40-million King Fahd Employment Center, to be set up by the Human Resources Development Fund, will be up and running within a year, a spokesman for HRDF told Arab News.
He said the center would coordinate its activities with the Ministry of Labor and HRDF, which recently signed an agreement with the Austrian Federal Economic Chamber for providing consultancy services. Dr. Muhammed Al-Sahlawi, director general of HRDF, signed the agreement on behalf of the Fund, while the Austrian Federal Chamber was represented by Dr. Richard Schenz, vice president of the chamber.
The spokesman said the center would act as an employment exchange for job-seeking Saudis, who could enter their CVs in the database. It would play the role of a match-maker by providing skilled and trained Saudis to the private sector, which is required to notify vacancies to the Ministry of Labor.
According to Minister of Labor Dr. Ghazi Al-Gosaibi, a total of 180,443 Saudis enrolled themselves for jobs at 46 centers during the employment campaign. Of them, 24,864 were taken off the list as they were either employed or running their own businesses. Gosaibi estimated the number of unemployed male Saudis at 4.9 percent.
Saudis aged between 16 and 25 accounted for 68 percent of the total registered job seekers. Among them, 88 percent were unmarried while 57 percent had education below the secondary level. Fourteen percent of the job seekers held bachelor or higher degrees.
Asked about the training program, the spokesman said it would depend on the requirements of the job market. However, important elements of the training program would be to develop the technical skills of the trainees and make them highly motivated and productive.
“Vocational guidance will be provided to the job seekers to make sure that the right candidates are available for the employment market,” he said, adding that two centers would be established — one for technical training and the other Saudization department for placement service. Both will function under the umbrella of the King Fahd Employment Center.
He said the center would put up terminals for job seekers, who could enter their CVs. This would be matched with the requirements of vacant jobs, before a candidate is recommended for employment.
