RIYADH: The Saudi Telecom Company (STC) and the Technical and Vocational Training Corporation (TVTC) entered into an agreement recently to link more than 200 TVTC colleges and institutes through a Virtual Private Network Service and management service router.

Under the first phase of the deal, 25 colleges will be linked followed by the remainder of the institutes, according to a time frame that will soon be agreed upon.

The agreement was signed by the TVTC’s Gov. Ali Al-Ghafis and the STC’s Chief Executive Officer Dr. Khaled Biyari.

“The move comes as part of the organization’s plan to provide technical and vocational training programs using the latest technology,” said Al-Ghafis.

It also reflects the STC’s keenness to deliver safe and effective information in an integrated manner, taking into account the continuity of the service and its contacts which are built upon the needs of colleges and institutes.

According to Al-Ghafis, such an agreement is an extension of the work-based online training programs implemented by the institution, which include an electronic training system based on modern training methods and multiple virtual classrooms.

He further said that the TVTC seeks to build an online training environment where trainees can interact at any time and in any place. The governor of the organisation also pointed out that they recently launched a self-training initiative, which is considered to be one of the most advanced trainee communication systems in the country.

“The STC is eager to work with the TVTC in several regards, notably in attracting the graduates of colleges and technical institutes to make use of them in the company’s projects,” said Biyari. He added that linking the TVTC’s colleges and institutes throughout the Kingdom is in the best interests of the STC in terms of contributing to the development of national projects.

So far, at least 40,000 trainees nation-wide have benefited from the TVTC’s exemplary training program.