The workers need not submit any academic or technical certificates showing their qualifications and experience prior to sitting the test, according to Saad Al-Shayeb, director of the Department for Professional Skills Testing at the state-owned Technical and Vocational Training Corporation (TVTC).
He said a consortium led by AwalNet, a leading Internet service provider in the Kingdom, has won the contract worth SR6 billion to undertake the skills testing of more than 6 million foreigners in the Kingdom.
Speaking to Arab News, he said the company has already embarked on this massive task by analyzing the scheme and working out necessary rules and procedures for the test. Al-Shayeb also noted foreigners who fail the test would be given another chance.
In an interview with Arab News, Al-Shayeb spoke at length about various aspects of TVTC’s plan to carry out skills testing. He said the scheme, which aims to increase the professional efficiency and competence of workers in various trades, would be implemented on a PPP (public-private partnership) basis by the end of March next year. “Apart from the foreign workers, passing the test would also be mandatory for those who come on a new labor visa into the Kingdom,” he said.
Shedding more light on the scheme, Al-Shayeb said the test would offer foreigners a new opportunity to improve their skills and consolidate their expertise in their respective fields. It would also help those who have acquired professional competence without obtaining any academic certificate or formal education and training.
Al-Shayeb noted that many foreigners are engaged in jobs other than the original trade on their employment visa. “The scheme to test workers’ skills and issuing work permits on the basis of the test results would contribute substantially to putting an end to this phenomenon and a number of other labor law violations. This has become a matter of serious concern for decision makers at the ministry,” he said.
About the fate of those who fail the tests after their arrival in the Kingdom, Al-Shayeb said the scheme mainly aims at improving the professional competence and work quality of foreigners.
“Of course, this would have a positive impact on the quality of service offered in the Kingdom by the foreign work force. This would also serve the interests of foreigners in the sense that they can improve their skills and expertise after identifying and rectifying their shortcomings,” he said, adding foreigners who fail the test would be provided with training to acquire the required skills and then appear for the test a second time.
Al-Shayeb also noted the rules and regulations for the scheme would be worked out in a way serving the interests of both citizens and foreigners. “TVTC would strengthen its cooperation with all agencies concerned at the ministry to ensure effective implementation of the scheme. We will take advantage of the statistical figures available with these agencies regarding the number of foreigners in trades in which Saudization is to be given prominence as well as the professions involving safety requirements, besides professional standards,” he said, adding the private sector is playing a pivotal role in drafting these professional criteria.
TVTC started elaborate preparations to test workers’ skills following a decision by the Council of Ministers. In an earlier decision, the Cabinet had entrusted the Ministry of Labor to proceed with the scheme to verify the professional competence of foreigners in the local employment market to serve the nation and people in the best possible manner.
Al-Shayeb’s department conducted several comparative studies and took advantage of local and international experiments in professional skills testing while working out the mechanism for the test that would be based on CBI (computer-based instructions) with a focus on practical evaluation. The scheme and its trial process will be complete within 10 months, paving the way for its actual implementation by the end of March 2013.
