“The agreement is in accordance with  ZITI's goal to provide young Saudis with an excellent opportunity to gain internationally-accredited vocational qualifications,” Mohamed Abdulla Sharif, Zamil Industrial training center manager, said on Thursday.

ZITI will work with GIFHE in the development of UK-based, Edexcel-approved vocational training, notably programs in refrigeration and air-conditioning, welding and fabrication, production, instrumentation and control and electrical and electronics technologies.

“Grimsby Institute will cooperate in establishing a quality control and assurance unit at ZITI, which is a vital requirement for Edexcel-UK accreditation,” said Sharif.

The unit will ensure that all departments at ZITI follow specific procedural standards set by the main qualifications-awarding body (Edexcel) and Grimsby Institute when delivering training and assessing trainees. “The unit will also instruct ZITI trainers and ensure that they are fully aware of the standards required for ZITI to gain and maintain external accreditation,” said Sharif.

He indicated that Grimsby Institute will also provide all materials required to deliver training programs effectively, as well as a comprehensive learning management system that will be used to track the progress of all trainees.

The Web-based system will also provide trainees with continuous online access to all training and assessment materials and test results.

Candidates for training programs will be selected using placement and aptitude tests based on ability and interest.