JEDDAH, 18 June — Some 280 Saudi youths will complete a yearlong training course in telecommunications at the LM Ericsson Training Center in Riyadh this month.
The trainees, who specialized in various branches of telecommunications technology, include engineers, assistant engineers and technicians.
Per-Arne Lunberge, Ericsson’s director of training in Saudi Arabia, explained that the program was in the framework of an agreement between Ericsson and the Saudi Telecom Co. after the Swedish firm had won an STC contract for GSM expansion.
“STC requested that we train 150 Saudis as part of the deal but we took in more than 300. Now these graduates have all the technical expertise they need. When they gain some working experience, they will be among the best specialists in their respective fields thanks to the high standard of training at Ericsson,” Lunberge said.
STC and Ericsson are expected to hire most of these graduates, he added.
Asked about future projects of the Ericsson Training Center, Lunberge said, “This center is here to stay and meet the training needs of the Kingdom. We are establishing professional contacts with the Saudi academics; this reflects our intention to build a long-lasting relationship with the Kingdom.”
