SAUDI ARABIA

When internships are crucial for employment

Hands-on training helps identify job seeker's strengths and weaknesses

March 16, 2018

Saudi Gazette report

THE challenges faced by young people in the field of work today are many, most notably the requirement of work experience when applying to new jobs.

It is almost an impossible condition unfortunately for most young people to meet because educational institutions in Saudi Arabia do not make practical training a priority. Higher education in the country ignores the importance of practical training for university students even in scientific disciplines.

As hands-on professional experience is one of the prerequisites for landing a suitable job after graduation, pre-graduation internships will be greatly beneficial to students in many disciplines. They not only can apply the theoretical knowledge that they have acquired throughout the years of their study to practical purposes, but also identify the nature and the needs of the labor market. Moreover, internships give students a taste of the reality of work.

The Ministry of Labor, in cooperation with the Human Resources Development Fund, previously launched the summer training program for students, which helped them find summer jobs. In addition to obtaining a salary, the students also received certificates and references for having performed jobs during their summer vacations.

The aim of the program is to enable the Saudi youth to enter the labor market in a better shape. The program provides training opportunities in private sector establishments for students who are at least 17 years old to help them obtain practical skills and experience during the summer breaks, qualifying them to meet the requirements of the job market.

The training is of two types. The first is on-the-job training, which is conducted within the private sector, where the student works alongside the employee of the establishment to gain experience and knowledge of the work environment.

The second is training at accredited institutions financed by private enterprises that are unable to give the students hands-on training at their premises or firms that have a desire to train students at specialized training institutions. The important question here is whether the coordination between universities and human resources in the private sector to equip young people with the necessary experience has had an impact on preparing students for the labor market. And how prepared are the young Saudis for advancement in job? And what is the impact when a person does not find acceptance from employers because of a lack of experience? Al-Riyadh newspaper investigates.

Khuloud Al-Ahmari, an education consultant, said in academic programs of a duration of four to five years in disciplines such as engineering, media and medicine, a student who reaches the third year is required to complete practical field training. The student spends a month or two in an institution in the respective field where he or she gets an opportunity to develop their abilities and acquire practical experience. Al-Ahmari added.

He said practical training is a prerequisite for graduation in many disciplines.

Shehd Al-Khamis, a computer engineer from Imam Muhammad Bin Saud University, pointed to the many benefits of the summer training.

"I worked during my summer vacations in a number of private institutions and benefited a lot," Al-Khamis said. She added that a student would be able to identify job requirements and discover problems or gaps in the work environment, and how to solve them.

Marwa Al-Yahyan, a graduate of the Jeddah Technical College, said practical training would refine a student's personality. "Practical training helps the student to raise the level of self-responsibility and self-reliance, which are very important in molding one's character. From my experience as a graduate student in the faculty of technology, I can firmly say that the college helped me a great deal to choose the most suitable place for my training," said Al-Yahyan.


March 16, 2018
2160 views
HIGHLIGHTS
SAUDI ARABIA
8 hours ago

Saudi Arabia chosen to chair UN Committee on the Status of Women in 2025

SAUDI ARABIA
10 hours ago

Car agents directed to receive only a portion of price as deposit while booking cars

SAUDI ARABIA
11 hours ago

Punitive measures against more firms for organizing illegal lottery prize draws