A local organization has launched a national vocational and technical training program to prepare young Saudi men and women for the labor market.

The Battarjee Education and Technical Academy (BETA) in Jeddah wants to train 5,000 young people over three months to a year, and then find them jobs by the end of 2015.

The initiative falls within the framework of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman’s concern for young men and women in the Kingdom. Khaled Battarjee is the architect of the initiative, which has been launched with the blessings of the Technical and Vocational Training Corporation (TVTC) and the Human Resources Development Fund.

Those who attended the launch included 150 directors of human resources from companies in various sectors. In his opening address, Battarjee said 99 percent of the skilled jobs in the private sector are occupied by expatriates.

He said there should be more training, with companies not paying young Saudis between SR2,000 and SR4,500 a month. Salaries should be between SR7,000 and SR8,000, as a minimum limit for young people with technical skills.

Battarjee said Saudi higher education institutions are not preparing young citizens for technical jobs. A total of 68 percent of Saudis graduated with qualifications in arts, with only 6 percent in engineering and 4 percent in medicine.

Battarjee urged employers to trust young Saudi women when they complete their training by giving them jobs with attractive salaries.

Najwa Salem, executive director of BETA, said the academy adopted the initiative as a national duty. The organization also recently organized a forum with representatives from private companies, the TVTC and the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

She said employees have responded by agreeing to pay salaries starting from SR7,000 rather than SR4,500. This would help to ensure that Saudi workers gain the skills needed to be competitive in the market and remain loyal to their employers.

The companies have also indicated that they are willing to provide training for Saudis before they enter the market, and on-the-job training, she said.