Vision 2030 aligns education outcomes with labor market needs: Labor minister

JEDDAH: Minister of Labor and Social Development Ali bin Nasser Al-Ghafis on Wednesday said Vision 2030 and its objectives go hand in hand with the agenda of the International Labor Conference (ILC) currently taking place in Geneva.
These aims include aligning education outcomes with the needs of the labor market, preparing youths to enter the market, increasing women’s participation, and involving people with disabilities and developing their skills, Al-Ghafis added.
Addressing the plenary at the 106th session of the ILC, he said the Kingdom allows Syrians and Yemenis to obtain temporary work permits, integrate into the labor market and have access to services until they return to their countries safely.
The Kingdom pursues a policy of resolving the situation of expats who violate residency and labor regulations by following humane values that stem from Islam and international labor standards, Al-Ghafis added.
“The Kingdom has given undivided attention to social protection of expat workers by launching a nationwide campaign to correct the status of violators of labor and residency regulations without inflicting any negative effects on them,” he said.
“They do not incur any fees or fines, and they are not denied returning to work.
This has permitted a huge number of expat workers to stay and work in the Kingdom after they corrected their situations and became legal workers and residents.”
As climate change determines the fate of the planet, Al-Ghafis said the Kingdom seeks to “achieve environmental sustainability and protect natural resources, including oil wealth and ground water.”
The Kingdom has laid out a plan to develop the renewable energy sector because it believes in the importance of transitioning to a green economy, he added.