The Ministry of Labor and Social Development has announced it will support the non-profit sector and encourage volunteerism in the Kingdom. A source said the ministry opened up the opportunity to employ jobs seekers as "volunteers". "The ministry aims to empower volunteerism in the Kingdom as part of the National Transformation Program 2020. The ministry also announced that it plans to open sections for volunteers in 200 charity organizations in the country. The ministry aims to increase the number of volunteers in the Kingdom from 245,000 in 2015 to 300,000 by 2020," said the source. The source also said the ministry was working on developing a criteria to ensure the quality of volunteers and volunteering organizations in the Kingdom. "The ministry will come with a code of ethics for all volunteers. The ministry also plans to develop a guide for volunteers with instructions on their roles and responsibilities. It will also offer training programs for volunteers," said the source. He said the ministry will put in place a series of awards for high performing volunteers. "Volunteers have greatly positive social and economic impact on society. The ministry supports the program "Harun", which is a network of professionals working to fill in the gap in the volunteering sector in the Kingdom," said the source. He added that the ministry›s Association of Volunteerism coordinates the efforts of the public and private sectors. "The ministry aims to develop a unified recruitment procedure to empower human resources in the Kingdom and support non-profit organizations by providing them with volunteers. The ministry will also have a number of incentives and rewards for volunteers," said the source. He said the ministry will launch a campaign to raise the awareness about the importance of volunteerism in society.
