Saudi- Jobless youth to receive training in retail sector

(MENAFN- Arab News) The Labor Ministry has initiated the task of training unemployed Saudi youth to work in the retail sector in the major cities of Jeddah Riyadh and Dammam. A reputable international manpower training organization is set to train the Saudi youth.

Human Resources Development Fund (HADAF) the prime agency working under the Ministry of Labor to train unemployed Saudi youth has recently entered into an agreement with the Dale Carnegie Training institution to train 600 Saudi youth in the retail sector to work in Jeddah Riyadh and Dammam.

Abdul Kareem Al-Najeedi acting director of the Human Resources Development Fund said on Sunday that the training is aimed to develop Saudi youth's skills to work in the retail sales sector in three major cities at the initial stage.

He added that Dale Carnegie will confer a certificate on all graduates who complete the training and will officially qualify them to work in any retail sector.

Al-Najeedi said that the program will gradually be expanded to other cities.

He noted that the Human Resources Development Fund will bear the cost of the training and that the agreement is a reflection of a partnership between the private sector and the Fund to train a nationalized work force suitable for the Kingdom's private sector.

'The professional training-on-the-job will guarantee the satisfaction of both parties and will develop stability in employment' he said.

HADAF pointed out that jobs in the retail sector do not require qualifications beyond high school which is a plus for nationalization as 75 percent of the job seekers have high school certificates.

There are nearly 600000 job opportunities in the retail sector largely occupied by expatriates according to official estimates.

A retail sector report by Al Rajhi Capital stated that small grocery stores known as 'baqalas' currently dominate the retail sector with around 59 percent of the market share.

Also some companies in the retail sector find it increasingly difficult and expensive to employ Saudi nationals to work in labor intensive jobs.

These jobs are presently carried out by low cost non-Saudi nationals. As a result these companies will have to incur higher costs for recruitment training and retention which would squeeze their profit margins.

The role of the Human Resources Development Fund is to facilitate the needs of the private sector by translating one of its objectives namely the employment oriented training into a reality.

It will do this by ensuring the high standards of graduates and the competences of the trainees. Moreover it will ascertain the availability of opportunities and essential equipment in places where the training is done endorse the programs follow them up prepare recommendations of support and regularly assess them.