JEDDAH, 25 May 2005 — Arab News recently had the rare opportunity to interview Salim Hassan Al-Asmarei, director of the Saudi Japanese Automobile High Institute (SJAHI). He has run SJAHI from its inception having previously been director of human resources at the Abdul Latif Jameel Group.
Q: How long has SJAHI been going?
A: SJAHI came into existence as a result of the visit of Crown Prince Abdullah to Japan in 1998. The institute was set up in September 2001 by the National Committee which was constituted by the Council of Saudi Chambers of Commerce & Industry. The institute’s official inauguration took place on March 19, 2003 under the patronage of Crown Prince Abdullah, and the plot of land where SJAHI now operates was a generous gift from him.
Q: What were the intended goals?
A: The main intention and objective behind opening this kind of institute was to foster Saudization — to train the Saudi youth in the automobile maintenance and sales industry. Keep in mind that Saudi Arabia has the largest such industry in the whole of Middle East.
Q: Who were the founder members of this institute and what role do they play?
A: The key players/members behind SJAHI are the Japan Automobile Distributors in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (JADIK) and Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association (JAMA), in cooperation with the General Organization for Technical Education & Vocational Training (GOTEVOT), which represents the government of Saudi Arabia, while Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) represents the government of Japan. JADIK, a group of 9 companies, supports and bears the running costs of the institute and JICA provides expertise and technical equipment as well as instructors and administrative staff.
Q: How long do students have to train before they graduate?
A: Students have to complete their training period in two years. This comprises four semesters. In the first year, the first and second semester has 640 hours each. In summer semester they have 180 hours of OJT. In the second year, the first and second semester has 608 study hours each. The full course consists of 3,260 hours. The breakdown of total study hours is in such a way that 71 percent of it is assigned to technical subjects, 24 percent to learning English and 5 percent to general subjects such as applied mathematics, applied science and computer applications.
Q: Since its inception, how many students have graduated?
A: So far, only one graduation ceremony has been held; it took place on Oct.3, 2004. A total of 190 students graduated in the ceremony conducted in the presence of Prince Abdul Majeed, governor of Makkah Region. Those graduates are now employed at our Japanese car dealers’ service centers and showrooms across the Kingdom. We intend to have 200 graduates every year. Our second batch of graduates should pass out this year in September.
Q: What is the system of recruitment of students at SJAHI? Is there any incentive for students to get enrolled?
A: The applicant must be a Saudi national, a high school graduate with a major in science and not older 20 years of age. Once enrolled at SJAHI, a student will be given a monthly salary of SR1,200. Other than day students, there are also resident students, for whom there is a dormitory facility and other necessary amenities - a mosque, a dining hall, a fitness center.
Q: When a student graduates, what sort of job will he get?
A: After graduating from SJAHI, the students join maintenance workshops and service centers as technicians and then, based on their performance and periodic evaluations, they progress on a JADIK designated career path: first technician, then pro-technician, master technician, chief technician, service adviser or floor manager, service manager, area service manager and, finally, general manager of service.
