Building a new skilled workforce for the future

Building a trained and skilled local workforce equipped for Saudi Arabia’s changing economic landscape will allow suppliers and future investors to benefit from new technical talent pools.

The recent iktva Supplier Training Services Roadshow brought together almost 100 suppliers and representatives from Saudi Aramco’s Local Workforce Development Department (LWDD) to discuss such movements.

Since its launch, the company’s iktva program has been recording steady localization success and is a cornerstone of Saudi Aramco’s strategic intent.

Its goal is to localize 70% of Saudi Aramco’s supply chain content by 2021 while raising energy-related exports to 30%, in the process creating thousands of jobs for young Saudis.

Technical programs

In tandem with iktva, National Training Centers (NTCs) have been ramping up their technical programs to provide highly skilled trainees to the energy and other industrial sectors.  

There are now 11 NTCs established in 10 cities Kingdomwide.

“The objective of today’s workshop is to raise awareness about our existing NTCs which have been created to help promote Saudization and develop a competitive, highly trained, and specialized workforce across the Kingdom.”
— Abdulrahman Al-Mogren, division head with Saudi Aramco’s Industrial Development and Strategic Supply Department, iktva Support

Al-Mogren encouraged suppliers to engage and ask questions during a virtual panel discussion featuring the top representatives of the Kingdom’s NTCs.

Saudization

Describing Saudization as a “national duty” with the goal of increasing Saudi participation in the private sector, LWDD’s Saudization Services Unit’s Dina Al-Ghassab said, “We want to be the leader in building vocational training capacity to qualify and develop a competitive Saudi workforce, and our mission is to promote Saudization with a focus on a sustainable training environment.” 

Meanwhile, Dalia Al-Wasifir of LWDD’s Training Capacity Planning Unit spoke about NTCs and their alignment with Saudi Vision 2030 and efforts to accelerate job creation, support industrial growth, and increase local content.

Pools of talent

Closing the event, Saad Al-Shahrani, head of LWDD’s Training Capacity Development Division, said that the academies and training centers are ready to cater for suppliers needs, and are valuable sources of pools of young vocationally trained talent.

“We are re-emphasizing that those NTCs are available for iktva suppliers and the whole public,” he said. “Many efforts have been exerted by all stakeholders to reach the levels they are at now. They are bringing a lot of value to industry and the economy.”