RIYADH: The newly appointed governor of the state-owned Technical and Vocational Training Corporation (TVTC) has stressed the need for boosting productivity by enhancing the performance and skills of employees which are required for the job market in the Kingdom.

Speaking to a local newspaper, Ahmed bin Fahd Al-Fuhaid, who was appointed the governor of TVTC on Friday, said: "The real challenge is about how to harmonize the TVTC’s output with the requirements of the labor market. As such, we will work with the Ministry of Labor and the relevant authorities to raise the efficiency and performance of employees to convert a challenge into an opportunity for growth and development."

Al-Fuhaid holds bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees in mechanical engineering from universities in the United States. Talking about his appointment, he said: “This evident confidence places a great responsibility on my shoulders: the rehabilitation of young men and women without jobs. Our country faces a big challenge in terms of skills development, creating a competitive atmosphere and enhancing productivity in the country.”

Al-Fuhaid added: "We are embarking on the development of training and rehabilitation of the employment sector in order to meet future labor market requirements."

In the past few months, TVTC faced severe criticism from members of the Shoura Council, one of whom said that the graduates of technical colleges are unable to even install a lightbulb. Some of them went on to say that the state spends billions of riyals on this sector and it has turned out to be a huge waste as it is not reflected in terms of the quality of output.

There have subsequently been suggestions regarding the merging of the body with the Ministry of Education to raise its operational efficiency.

The organization explained that it was able to increase the admission capacity in colleges and institutes by 26.4 percent, at a time when observers see it as a priority to ensure career opportunities, before they open their doors to thousands of young men and women staring at a hazy future joining the ranks of the unemployed.

The report referred to the high rate of enrollment among high school graduates — up to 90 percent at universities — because of the limited job opportunities for TVTC’s graduates. It is also due to poor training programs provided to them, and their lack of English language skills which makes them unable to assume leadership positions in the private sector.