RIYADH, 23 January 2007 — Amid concerted efforts of both the government and private sectors to find jobs for young Saudis, an employment agency has been reaping success finding the right jobs for the applicants.
ECSA, a manpower agency which stands for Empowering Capabilities, Skills and Aptitude, launched yesterday the first integrated recruitment website in the Kingdom by using the latest applications and software in the field of employment in the global markets. www.ecsa.com is designed to meet the needs of the labor market and promote Saudization, a key priority for the government as far as the private sector is concerned. The solution is built for flexibility, adaptability and fast implementation.
ECSA President Banan Abu Tair told Arab News that “the site which is the most sophisticated and advanced in the Middle East, provides integrated recruitment solutions designed after carefully studying the needs of companies. The site supports sophisticated classification and allows the completion of the operation and follow-up electronically to expedite the process of negotiation and contracting.”
There is a huge market potential, according to Abu Tair, who said that the labor ministry’s goal to enroll 200,000 women in the job market has paved the way for organizing workshops and training programs. Last year, the agency achieved a success rate of 98 percent, and successfully recruited 257 female candidates at various levels.
The agency has set up a specialized female team which scans the job market to identify the employment trends. These are factored in at the time of organizing training programs or seminars.
ECSA will organize workshops and intensive courses for those who have limited skills or experience in the second quarter of the year 2007, he said.
The site, he pointed out, opens up job opportunities for Saudi women while respecting the cultural traditions of the society. It is the first Saudi recruiting company with a specialized female section, working to address the needs of women. “We are proud to be the first company with a specialized department for the employment of women. We started our work in 2005 to help the Saudi youth gain access to job opportunities and support companies in their quest for human resources relevant to their needs. In the same year we allocated a specialized team to help Saudi women in this vital area and enhance the experience of women applying for jobs,” he noted.
Saima Sofi, executive director of ECSA, said their approach is different from that of the mainstream agencies in that their training programs are oriented to the needs of the employment market. “What’s more, we visit the offices of the prospective employers and make sure that the working environment is suitable for the female applicants.”
By following this approach, ECSA has succeeded in opening the doors to Saudi women who now work in companies and sectors that were previously off-limits for them.
