Training stressed for improved Nitaqat to succeed

RIYADH: Various sectors of the Kingdom have expressed optimism regarding the announced launching of the balanced (Mawzoon) Nitaqat system on Dec. 11.
However, they underscored the necessity of training for the success of the Saudization program, which has drawn the attention of many concerned individuals who are willing to help.
Last year, author and Islamic scholar Dr. Mohsin Sheikh Al-Hassan hosted a show, “Jobs on Air,” on Saudi-owned television channel, Al-Danah, in support of the program. Over 100,000 jobs were generated for young Saudis.
“The enhanced Nitaqat is good. But it’s a fact that many of those seeking jobs need to undergo training,” said Khalil Al-Jehani, a lawyer who manages his own law firm in the Saudi capital.
He added that “the Saudization program may be running at full speed but it gets stuck because job applicants lack the necessary skills for their jobs.”
“If Saudis seeking jobs undergo sufficient training, they’ll perform well. They’ll not also count the hours being on the job because they love what they’re doing,” he said.
He added that at the end of the day, the enhanced Nitaqat may not achieve its aim under the Vision 2030 plan of the government if training is not undertaken.
In this connection, the Technical Training Institute (TVTC) has been doing its share. It has been conducting training among Saudi youths in various sectors such as telecommunications, management, tourism, and others.
In a recent statement, TVTC said that it had rehabilitated more than 37,633 Saudis in the telecommunications sector with the support of the Human Resources Development Fund (HRDF).
The TVTC added that it had also signed an agreement with Maaden to train 550 youths in the Northern Border Region. After their training, they will work in Maaden’s projects in the region.
Manie Al-Khelewy, managing director of Saudi Advanced Services Co. (SAS), said that the reported implementation of an improved Nitaqat is good.
“It’s a shot in the arm as far as Saudis are concerned, especially the youth,” he said, adding that it will go a long way in solving unemployment in the Kingdom.
The ministry aims to reduce unemployment rate from 11.7 percent to 9.3 percent by the year 2020.
However, he said that the enhanced Nitaqat should be good enough for Saudi employees so that they can do their jobs efficiently.
“Under the enhanced Nitaqat, they should have a stable job, good working conditions and a good salary because they spend money on food, clothes, transportation, among others. A car won’t run without gasoline,” he said.
In a recent press conference at the Riyadh Chamber of Commerce and Industry (RCCI), the Ministry of Labor and Social Development announced that the improved Nitaqat is an extension of the existing one.
Deputy Labor Minister Ahmed Al-Humaidan told the press that the enhanced Nitaqat had additional features, in which the ministry is looking at the percentage of Saudi females in an organization.
The more females there are in an organization, the more points it can get from the system.
The ministry is also looking into the average income and average wages of Saudis. Moreover, it’s also looking for job stability and higher pay for Saudis.
Speaking on the occasion, Deputy Minister for Policy Dr. Ahmed Qattan said that the current Nitaqat had achieved its purpose “but it has to be enhanced to keep in step with development.”
The new Saudization system comes in line with Vision 2030 and is expected to realize the objectives of the National Transformation Program 2020.