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Training
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Traditional education and vocational training are essential components of the Saudi educational system. |
The Kingdom has identified technical and administrative training as an essential sector of education to support the country's economic and social development. The Fifth Development Plan (1990-94) appropriates 1.6 billion U.S. dollars for technical education and vocational training. Graduates of training programs in health care, agriculture, teaching and other areas are steadily filling positions at industrial, agricultural and social institutions throughout the country.
The General Organization for Technical Education and Vocational Training, along with the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs, operates most of the Kingdom's vocational training centers and higher institutes of technical education. The Ministry of Education operates vocational and secondary schools, and several other government agencies run institutes or training centers in their particular specialties.
The Royal Technical Institute at Riyadh -- the best equipped in the Middle East -- and the Hofuf Technical Training School emphasize machine tooling, metal working, electromechanics and auto mechanics. The General Organization for Technical Education and Vocational Training in Riyadh also offers young Saudis the opportunity to learn skills that are in high demand. Hundreds of young Saudis every year participate in training programs in a variety of fields, from electronics to maintenance of industrial machinery. Other vocational and technical schools have also been established in Jeddah, Madinah, Abha, Taif, Unaizah and Dammam.
Another important institution, designed to address the country's shortage of administrative personnel, is the Institute for Public Administration, established in Riyadh in 1961 as a semi-independent public agency. The institute provides basic as well as in-service training for civil servants, carries out research and assists government agencies in administration, communication and computer sciences. Today, it has branches in Dammam and Jeddah, and a special branch in Riyadh for training women. Currently, it enrolls over 13,000 students in courses in administration, law, accounting, computer science, maintenance, personnel management, secretarial skills and management planning.
The educational system of Saudi Arabia seeks to bestow the legacy of Islam and the wisdom of the past upon new generations, while training them to meet the challenges of the future. King Fahd has always expressed Saudi Arabia's commitment to provide the country's youth with opportunities to develop their capabilities. Whether their interests are technical, scientific, or artistic, students today have the chance to pursue knowledge in a wide variety of fields, in the most modern educational institutions.
To build upon the advances Saudi Arabia has made in the field of education and human resource development, the Sixth Development Plan (1995-99) calls for greater efforts to improve the quality of general and higher education and vocational training. It also focuses on enabling Saudi schools, universities and training facilities to better meet the future needs of the country's increasingly sophisticated economy by offering quality education in advanced fields of specialization. .
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