Saudi- MCCI plans monthly career program to tackle market gap

(MENAFN- Arab News) Makkah Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MCCI) says it will start a career program on monthly basis aimed at filling the gap that occurred in the labor market, given the acute shortage of workers that followed the government's moves to correct the market. Talal Mirza, chairman of the board of directors, said the market is suffering a shortage in male and female employees, "and if the gradual tackling of this situation does not start immediately, the shortage will worsen and can reach the level of a crisis," he said. He said facilitated employment procedures in private companies would be implemented in the chamber's "serious" project that will eventually increase the number of male and female workers in the market. "It will meet young job seekers' ambitions and help the private sector achieve its required number of employees." Hasan Kansara, member of the board and supervisor of the career program, said the chamber held such events throughout the year. However, the decision to hold them every month was approved after the success of the one held last Ramadan and the one that took place last month. "Both programs provided jobs for male and female job seekers in diverse fields, with each job meeting the requirements of the employer as well as the applicant." Kansara told a press conference in Makkah that the holy city's private sector needs at least 6,000 male employees in the next few months. The need for female employees, according to the chamber's career program's field surveys, declined from 3,000 employees in last Ramadan to 2,000 employees currently.