The remarkable commitment to education reforms, which are spearheading the progress of the knowledge economy of the Kingdom at a rapid pace, will only be fully realized if private businesses are aligned with the intentions of the government, according to a report published on Tuesday.
The Nitaqat in the Spotlight report, published by global management consultancy Hay Group, finds that there is a disconnect between key stakeholders that needs to be tackled in order to address the concerns of private sector employers. The author of the report, Chance Wilson, general manager of Hay Group in Saudi Arabia, says the report provides new insight into how private sector business views the program:
• On the surface, national and expatriate leaders talk about a knowledge and skills gap between expatriates and the national workforce but on closer examination this is rooted in a deeper misalignment between the private, public and education sectors in the Kingdom. These are not matters that can be addressed in isolation by private companies or the Ministry of Labor.
• Leaders in our research tell us their concerns regarding Saudization center around the work-readiness of Saudi nationals, fit to role and difficulties with the process of knowledge transfer. Many feel that the approach of recruiting in order to meet a Saudization target, followed by training for a specific role, means new recruits are sometimes not given the opportunity to find their true vocation.
• Overall, expatriates in our research are supportive of Nitaqat and feel it is the right thing to do, with respondents overwhelmingly agreeing with this statement. They also told us they feel a great responsibility for knowledge transfer, with 37 percent of responses concurring with this statement. However, 37 percent of respondents said their organization has been unable to find a Saudi national with the required knowledge, skills and experience to Saudize their role, which suggests companies are struggling with implementation due to deeper-rooted issues despite comprehensive support from the Ministry of Labor.
Hay Group's study, which took place between August 2011 and January 2012 explores the perceived strengths and weaknesses of the Nitaqat program, according to senior expatriate business leaders in the Kingdom. It also identifies key development priorities for Saudization of the private sector.
Wilson said: "The top three development priorities identified in our research are establishing minimum standards of education for school leavers, a greater use of apprenticeship schemes and more emphasis on training and development in the workplace. A recurring theme in the report is vocational experience earlier in the career cycle."
He added: "Seventy percent of Saudi nationals do not go on to higher education and so there are numerous opportunities for initiatives such as apprenticeship schemes and vocational training. At present these young people could be slipping through the system. Many companies have excellent development programs, have established on the job training, and are already in the Nitaqat platinum zone. These companies should be held up as role models for their peer companies and crucially, encouraged to share their success stories. Overall, our report finds that a more concerted effort is required to bridge the gap between public and private sectors if the Kingdom is to fulfill its vision of creating 6 million jobs for Saudi nationals by 2030."
New report on Nitaqat calls for alignment between education sector and businesses
