About 45 percent of university students are studying subjects that do not prepare them for the country’s labor market, according to a senior Labor Ministry official.

Ibrahim Al-Moaiqil, director general of the Human Resources Development Fund (Hadaf), said there were also few students taking up technical and vocational studies.

“The electronic employment portal seeks to smooth the way for job seekers who want to join the labor market, and helps improve their performance by providing them with the necessary skills,” said Al-Moaiqil, according to a report in a local publication recently.

In a paper submitted at the Middle East North Africa Conference and Exhibition for Human Resource Development, Al-Moaiqil said the Doroob program was designed to meet the needs of the labor market, serving both job seekers and employers, by offering various training courses for new employees and re-skilling those already working.

The Doroob program courses include interpersonal training, English language skills and computer skills. Job-specific training courses such as retail sales assistant, hotel front desk clerk, and IT support assistant are also available.