RIYADH — Saudi Arabia ranked first globally in the percentage of students enrolled in post-secondary non-tertiary education (ISCED 4), in technical and vocational programs, based on the Global Knowledge Index (GKI) 2022.
This index is issued by Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Knowledge Foundation in collaboration with United Nations Development Program and provides reliable data to help countries and decision makers to understand and face the real transformations and challenges, as well as discover future prospects and potential paths.
The Global Knowledge Index contains seven composite sub-indices that focus on the performance of six vital knowledge sectors: pre-university education; technical and vocational education and training; higher education; information and communications technology; research, development and innovation; and economy.
It also has a special sub-index for enabling environment that diagnoses social, political, economic, health and environmental context for those sectors.
On this occasion, Technical and Vocational Training Corporation (TVTC) Governor Dr. Ahmad Bin Fahad Al-Fahaid extended his congratulations to Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman and to the Crown Prince for Saudi Arabia’s ranking first in a number of vital fields in the Global Knowledge Index.
He stressed that this achievement is the result of the government’s keen interest and of the support lent by the wise leadership of the Kingdom, keen to equip citizens of both genders with skills that enable them to actively contribute to the development and renaissance of the country.
According to Dr. Al-Fahaid, expanding colleges and institutes capacity annually is one of the objectives of TVTC, which has been working on this goal since the launch of the National Vision 2030. In 2021, the target was 24%, and TVTC was able to attract more than 28% of high school graduates.
In 2022, the TVTC target was to accept 26% of high school graduates wishing to enroll in technical training programs.
Dr. Al-Fahaid added that several initiatives and programs the TVTC worked on enabled it to achieve its goals in this aspect; among them, the most prominent are: expanding bachelor’s programs, expanding training programs that begin with employment.
The initiatives included providing specialized programs that are compatible with the needs of the current and future labor market in the Kingdom, launching several programs to secure employment of graduates of both genders, as well as expanding training and development programs for women.
According to the Global Knowledge Index 2021, TVTC attained the ninth rank globally; it came in 12th in 2020, 86th in 2019, and 117th in 2018. — SPA
