RIYADH, 25 July 2005 — The training center of the Riyadh Chamber of Commerce & Industry (RCCI) has initiated a new trend by setting up training programs tailored to the specific needs of the private sector.
Abdul Aziz Al-Ajaleen, head of the programs development department at RCCI, said the request for customized programs came from the Human Resources Development Fund (HRDF) and private sector firms.
The programs are mainly for preparing trainees for a career in business administration, human resources development, executive management and planning as well as developing leadership skills. Another program on offer is consultancy service for young Saudi entrepreneurs looking for business ideas.
Al-Ajaleen was speaking in the context of RCCI’s summer training programs for young Saudis. Every year, some 2,000 trainees attend the courses which consist mainly of diploma and certificate courses ranging from one year for diploma to two-month as well as one to 10-day short-term courses.
They range from computer operation/programming, marketing and public relations to human resources development, tourism promotion and secretarial work. The trainees include both secondary and university graduate students.
“After Ramadan we are going to start training programs in English,” the official said, adding that all courses have been designed in response to the needs of the private sector.
He explained that besides the customized courses, the training program also emphasizes work ethics, time management and other concepts required at the work place. An important element of the program is an orientation course that enables the trainees to learn the terminology used in different professions.
This, it is hoped, should at least partly address the needs of the private sector that is looking for English language skills among Saudi recruits.
RCCI has also set up an employment cell to provide placement service for the trainees. Once they complete the course, the placement service of RCCI contacts the private sector for job opportunities.
Speaking on the condition of anonymity, the manager of a multinational company told Arab News that even the candidates recommended by RCCI are not up to the mark. “Their training programs should place greater accent on communication skills in English. This is an area that leaves much to be desired,” the executive said.
Meanwhile, around 1,500 unemployed Saudi graduates have signed up for a nine-day training programs to be conducted by HRDF in Riyadh, Jeddah and Dammam.
The programs come within the framework of the Labor Ministry’s plan to find jobs for unemployed Saudis. Those eligible to apply include Saudi graduates in the first phase to be followed by similar programs for undergraduates.
According to an HRDF spokesman, the focus in the first stage is on unemployed graduates. The next step will be to enroll high school students under training.
