Talking on the occasion, Fakieh said: “I thank the organizers of this event, the Technical and Vocational Training Center (TVTC), for inviting me as guest speaker. It is indeed an invaluable experience to be with the participants who are experts in technical and vocational training.”

He added that the conference will go a long way in enhancing knowledge on technical and vocational training both for the local and foreign experts who are sharing their knowledge with one another during the  biennial conference.

Fakieh expressed hope that the conference would advance further local experience on technical and vocational training and that the foreign experts would help the Kingdom establish more training institutes.

TVTC Vice Gov. Saleh Al-Amr said that with the 6th STCEX, the TVTC benefits from the Kingdom's experiences in hosting the five previous conferences.

“The knowledge that we have gained from the previous five conferences serves us in good stead as local and foreign experts on technical and vocational training gather under one roof and share their experiences in their respective countries,” said Al-Amr.

He added the TVTC initiated numerous development projects as recommended by the STCEX  since its inception in 2000.

Al-Amr, who is also the chairman of the organizing committee of the STCEX, said these projects include initiatives related to public-private partnerships, the establishment of national occupational skills standards, the development of a national TVT strategy, the introduction of quality assurance system and the need to expand technical and vocational training.

“I strongly believe that the STCEX will be a main tool to lead the TVTC to fulfill its vision of being an international leader in technical and vocational training,” Al-Amr said.

The participants in the STCEX include technical and vocational training  experts and leaders from 14 countries.

“Their participation is expected to engender  discussion, resulting in meaningful recommendations during the conference,” he said.

Countries represented in the conference are the United States, Germany, the United Kingdom, New Zealand,  Singapore, Saudi Arabia, Ireland, Japan, Malaysia, Brazil, Italy, Finland, Australia and Canada.

On the sidelines of the conference is an exhibition showcasing the latest products of different international training-equipment manufacturers.

The conference, which ends on Tuesday, is being held under the patronage of Crown Prince Sultan, deputy premier and minister of defense and aviation.