The call to include Saudi women in the labor force is a topic that has been extensively talked about in the past few years, considering that women represent only 13.5 percent of the Saudi work force.
With the need to include women in the government job planning, the Council of Ministers decided four years ago to increase areas and opportunities for working Saudi women.
In 2006 the Technical and Vocational Training Corporation in the Kingdom that supports the market with skilled male technicians opened up its doors for women too. With a budget of nearly SR3.5 billion the TVTC will establish 41 women institutes that offers around 23 majors for women, according to one of the planners of these institutes, Majed Al-Mogbil.
In 2006 the women’s institute offered only two diplomas that were of high need in the market: IT, banking and accounting. They courses have been taught in Riyadh, Buraidah, Tabuk and Al Hasa with the promise of opening new sections every year. The plan was conceived in a way, said Al-Mogbil, to cover five essential areas. “There is always cooperation between us and the Labor Ministry that is linked to the various chambers all over the Kingdom, and with current statistics we locate the need in the women market in both the government and private sectors.”
The first mission of the women’s section was to supply the government-run women sectors in the country with skilled labor in maintenance and operating technical equipments that were usually performed by men.
“Previously when facing a technical problem women had to wait till the next day to get things done by men after the women leave their offices,” said Al-Mogbil. Three diplomas were instituted: technical computer backing, office equipment maintenance and the operating and maintenance of computer networks.
Women’s cosmetics needs are not neglected either. The women vocational section acknowledges the very important fact that the hair salons and tailors are mainly run by foreigners, mainly men.
“Here we wanted to give the tens of thousands of Saudi girls a chance to avail decent jobs that were not available for them in the past due to the lack of training in these fields,” said Al-Mogbil. Two diplomas were designated in fields of cosmetics and in fashion design and production.
The section did not forget the need to support small businesses such as home-based businesses that some refer to as “producing families.” The support came in the form of right training that gave them the necessary tools to help in their startups. There are courses and diplomas in graphics, web designing, food manufacturing for individuals and also how to administer small businesses.
The variety of courses also extended to jobs that are suitable for women in advanced technical field such as jewelry and gold designing.
After extensive studies showed that the job market in some cases needed practical-oriented courses rather than theory-based degrees with the graduates ill-quipped to enter the work force, the institute set up short practical courses in programming, office applications and administration and accounting to equip the work force with skills that would make them a qualitative player in the job market, much better than those with degrees but no special skills. With a stream of mega projects on the anvil in the Kingdom, skilled women labor will have the chance to fulfill the needs of the job market in all areas mentioned. Also the TVTC will constantly monitor the need of the market and upgrade it accordingly, said Al-Mogbil.
