JEDDAH, 2 April 2008 — The Knowledge Economic City Al-Madinah (KEC) yesterday signed a partnership deal with Technical & Vocational Training Corporation (TVTC) to train Saudis by establishing specialized institutions in communication and information technology.
A memorandum of understanding (MoU) to this effect was signed between the two organizations at the Hilton’s Qasr Al-Sharq hotel. KEC Chief Executive Officer Tahir Bawazir and TVTC Gov. Dr. Ali ibn Nasir Al-Geface, signed the deal.
As per the MoU, KEC will work closely with TVTC to provide the best possible training to Saudis leading to placement in jobs in the field of communication and IT as well as knowledge-based industries. This will include vocational training for Saudi youth in the relevant fields.
“An intensive and integrated program of cooperation and coordination between the two parties are imperative to achieve this goal,” Al-Geface said. “TVTC will participate in the construction of communication and IT colleges, including lecture halls, auditoriums, labs, workshops and support services facilities such as cafeterias, playgrounds and library in addition to information infrastructure and Internet links. He also hoped that KEC - by way of this MOU — would create jobs and economic opportunities for Saudi youth. The MoU will promote Saudi technical and scientific innovation, which in turn, will assist in the provision of welfare and increased production.
It will also build and improve local human resources, which is key to Saudi youth joining the economic knowledge matrix in the future, he added. Bawazir said that this MOU would integrate and support knowledge- and training-based industries.
“The objective of this MoU is to establish specialized institutions in communication and IT training - and knowledge industries in general within KEC. These educational complexes will help achieve objectives of knowledge industries sector in compliance with KEC’s projected goals,” he said.
KEC will allocate the land required to build the educational complexes that will accommodate up to 24,000 male and female students. “Master plans and architectural drawings for these projects will be prepared soon in full coordination with TVTC in addition to provision of the required infrastructure,” he added.
KEC and TVTC will jointly manage these complexes in cooperation with local and international pioneer institutions and universities in each technical trade.
According to KEC’s PR Manager Sarry Shaaban, KEC aims to attract students from all over the world to benefit from science- and knowledge-based technologies.
