JEDDAH, 30 May 2006 — Saudi students interested in working as car maintenance technicians will be able to join the Saudi-Japanese Automatic High Institute (SJAHI) in September after applying at more than 92 centers in 28 cities around the Kingdom.
Eight Japanese car companies — Toyota, Nissan, Mitsubishi, Honda, Isuzu, Suzuki, Mazda and Daihatsu — will offer their branches as acceptance centers for the program. “The Saudi job market needs more than 50,000 car maintenance technicians,” said Salim Al-Asmari, SJAHI executive director.
Applications to SJAHI can be submitted starting June 10. The institute aims to accept more than 200 students, who must hold science high school degrees.
Each student will goes through acceptance exams and a one-week free probation period to test his skills. If he likes the job, he will sign a contract with one of the eight partner companies to guarantee a job after graduation.
A SR1,200 monthly allowance will be given to students during their two-year study. After graduation, they will receive a diploma.
Curriculums and trainers will be brought from Japan. In their second semester students will start a four-week internship in the maintenance centers of the car companies. After the second year, students enter eight weeks of on-the-job training.
