RIYADH: In a major initiative, the Technical and Vocational Training Corp. (TVTC) has agreed to partner with a global mobile giant to train Saudi youngsters in the mobile maintenance industry.

Ahmed bin Fahd Al-Fuhaid, governor of the TVTC, said on Tuesday that the corporation has entered into an executive work plan with the international company to train Saudi men and women in the field of maintenance, sales and management in the mobile industry.

The training programs, which will be implemented with Samsung, will be conducted in Riyadh, Jeddah and Madinah. Company experts will train locals in all areas connected to the mobile industry, the governor said.

He said the maiden initiative was made with the company to assist the Saudization program which is being implemented in the telecommunications and mobile industry on the instructions of Labor Minister Mufrej Al-Haqabani last week.

According to Al-Haqabani, the entire mobile phone industry, covering sales, maintenance and accessories by Sept. 2, should be Saudized. He directed his ministry to conduct training programs for young Saudi men and women who wish to enter this sector.

The training program, which will be conducted in coordination with the TVTC, will cover areas such as customer service, sales management, the basics of mobile maintenance, and maintenance of advanced mobile phones. The TVTC has already received more than 33,000 applicants from Saudi young men and women for its program.

The Labor Ministry had already sent circulars to companies and employees in the industry telling them to have 50 percent Saudi employees in three months and 100 percent in six months, ending on Sept. 2 this year.

The deployment of locals will be carried out in this sector by the Labor Ministry in coordination with the Ministries of Commerce and Industry, Municipal and Rural Affairs and Communications and Technology, the Human Resources Development Fund, the TVTC, the General Organization for Social Insurance, and other agencies.

The HRDF will provide employment support services to enterprises and job seekers in the telecommunications industry, which will be accessible at www.taqat.sa. There will also be support provided in paying part of the salaries of Saudis employed.

The company said the partnership is within the company’s social responsibility program and its efforts to transfer Korean technology to local youths.