The Technical and Vocational Training Corporation (TVTC) will start testing all expatriates working in the Kingdom from December this year, according to Dr. Saad Al-Shayb, Director of Occupational Inspection at the corporation. He said the TVTC is ready to test those expatriates currently working here and the 1.5 million expected to arrive in the Kingdom annually. However, economic experts believe that this move will make a major dent in the government's budget which should focus instead on preparing Saudis for the labor market. These tests, said the experts, need to be conducted by sponsors or the Ministry of Labor before workers arrive in the Kingdom. Al-Shayb was quoted as saying in the Arabic press on Monday, that the Ministry of Labor is currently drafting legislation that will make it compulsory for foreign workers to pass vocational examinations before being granted residence and work permits. The draft law, which defines the test system and fees to be paid by workers, will be submitted to King Abdullah for his final approval. Al-Shayb pointed out that there has been a suggestion to change the name of the examination to “occupational accreditation” instead of “vocational test”. He said the fingerprints and photographs of workers who sit for the test will be saved to prevent forgery. The ministry has already asked various government agencies for a list of their workers who may have to take the tests. The tests will be translated into various foreign languages. Al-Shayb said the tests will immediately show the strengths and weaknesses of a worker. After passing the examination, a work permit will be issued with the name, identity number and profession of the worker. Abdul Aziz Al-Saqr, Chairman of the Gulf Research Center, told Saudi Gazette that there are now 11.5 million expatriates in Saudi Arabia. Of this total, nine million are working in various industries, with about three million working from their homes. He wondered how they could all be tested. Commenting on the new decision, he said workers should be examined for their qualifications before they travel to the Kingdom. It should be done in their home countries and overseen by the Saudi Ministry of Labor. If not, then someone would have to be responsible for the travel expenses of those workers who fail the examinations here. He said qualifications are “relative matters” in that some foreign workers may have degrees which are not recognized in the Kingdom. Mohammad Shams, the head of an economic consultancy, said that sponsors and not the government should bear the costs of the new tests. If there is a government budget for this, it would be better spent on training Saudis, said Shams. He said a study needs to be conducted on the implications of the tests. He added that it would be difficult for the TVTC to test all expatriates. “There are different standards for different fields such as administration and services. These workers cannot all be tested by the corporation.” __
