6 May 2024
Technical and Vocational Training for Sustainable Development in Saudi Arabia and Vision 2030
The rapid change in all aspects of life is the hallmark of our current era, where training is the cornerstone of development and progress. Institutions are currently competing in the importance they give to training in their work systems, in terms of the quality and levels of training programs, as well as the percentage of their budget allocated to training their human resources. In the contemporary world of work, the term “employee” has transformed into “human resource,” prompting experts to maximize the value of individuals in their work. Economists have coined the term “human capital,” while accountants refer to it as “human assets,” a concept further defined by contemporary management and innovation scholars.
The importance of technical and vocational training for achieving sustainable development and, consequently, Vision 2030 for the Kingdom becomes evident. Therefore, we have:
- Concept of Technical and Vocational Training in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia:
Technical training in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is defined as an activity characterized by practical orientation aimed at imparting specific skills to trainees in production, operation, maintenance, or management processes. This training may be tailored to a certain educational level, age group, or duration.
Technical and vocational training plays a crucial role in driving economic and social life by contributing to national asset development, combating unemployment, and improving living standards. It represents a fundamental aspect of national efforts to increase development rates, reduce unemployment, and provide decent lives for people. There is a direct reciprocal relationship between economic growth, unemployment reduction, and increased educational levels. Moreover, the allocation of gross domestic product (GDP) to education directly impacts GDP growth rates through its multiplier effect on income increase, workforce absorption, and unemployment reduction.
- Indicators of Technical and Vocational Training and its Importance:
As the importance of training grows due to rapid technological advancements, technical students are faced with new tasks and responsibilities necessitating adaptation to technological changes. Training is designed to improve performance, and if it meets learning requirements and effectiveness, it undoubtedly achieves its intended goal. Effective training successfully invests in managing human resources in educational and technical institutions and beyond. This, of course, requires reform and development of technical education to bridge the gap between education and the job market, enhance the skills of technical education students, and prepare them for the job market through the development of training, qualification, education, and retraining processes to better meet the demands of the job market, thereby achieving sustainable development and Vision 2030. The Kingdom has taken vigorous steps toward this goal.
Technical and vocational training aims to prepare technical and technological cadres. The origins of technical and vocational training in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia date back to an early period, reflecting its interest in preparing human resources in technical and professional fields. With the increasing need to qualify Saudi youth in technical and professional fields, all technical and vocational training areas should be under one umbrella.
- Sustainable Development and Returns from Technical and Vocational Training:
Human resource development has gained widespread attention in administrative, economic, and social circles, given that human resources are among the most crucial success factors at both the macro and microeconomic levels in all societies. Human development includes two dimensions:
The first dimension concerns human growth at various stages of life to develop human capacities, physical, psychological, social, skills, and spiritual.
The second dimension involves rational investment in resources, inputs, and economic activities to generate wealth and enhance productivity by developing structures and institutional frameworks that enable participation and utilization of various human capacities. Human resource development aims to increase knowledge, skills, and capabilities for the workforce capable of working in all fields. Building a professional development strategy requires identifying key indicators at the national level to help individuals become good citizens, capable of adapting to continuous changes in labor markets and maintaining a balance between work roles and personal life.
Given the importance of professional development in human resource planning and development, comprehensive development plans in Gulf countries prioritize human resources through continuous support for education at all levels, including technical education and training. One of the major problems facing graduates is knowing their job prospects after graduation, despite significant efforts by institutions in updating administrative structures, curricula, and designing training programs to enhance educational outcomes. However, an examination of curricula and the quality of training in the Kingdom, especially in colleges and institutes of the General Organization for Technical and Vocational Training, reveals a lack of mutual coordination and dual training with the labor market, creating a significant gap.
Therefore, privatizing technical and vocational training programs achieves many of the goals of development plans, emphasizing basic developmental foundations aimed at improving internal and external efficiency.
