JEDDAH: Makkah Chamber of Commerce and Industry is developing special training courses to prepare young people for the country’s labor market.

This is according to Turki Kashlan, director of the Arab Training Forum and training consultant at the MCCI, who said that the Kingdom has already made significant strides to prepare its young people for a knowledge economy.

He was speaking recently at a planning session for the Arab Training Forum taking place from April 18 to 20, where workshops and exhibitions will be held. He said the MCCI was working closely with young people on its various committees. He said three specialized companies are developing the training courses. Sixty percent of those who had completed other courses offered by the MCCI had successfully found jobs, he said.

Mahmoud bin Ahmed Al-Awadi, chairman of the forum’s organizing committee, said the country’s chambers of commerce were working closely with the private and training bodies to improve young people’s skills.

He said the Arab Training Forum would be one of the largest gatherings of its kind in the region.