Saudi women will soon benefit from New Zealand's technical educational expertise as a result of an agreement signed by New Zealand education consulting company PINZ (Polytechnics International New Zealand) and Saudi Arabia's Technical and Vocational Training Corporation (TVTC), the New Zealand Trade and Enterprise (NZTE) said in a statement issued on Saturday. Under the agreement, PINZ will establish and operate a technical training institution in Saudi Arabia dedicated to training women. The agreement was signed recently by PINZ Chief Executive Hone McGregor and TVTC Governor Dr Ali Al-Ghafis in Wellington in the presence of New Zealand Minister of Trade Tim Groser. “The agreement recognizes that New Zealand's technical education system is applicable to Saudi Arabia. As well as developing the technical training institute in Saudi Arabia, it also allows PINZ to roll out a range of other activities for TVTC. These include an English language and degree scholarship program for TVTC staff to pursue applied degrees with polytechnic providers in New Zealand,” McGregor said. Saudi Arabia is expected to increase the number of technical training institutes by more than 230 during the next decade to ensure its young people have the necessary skills to contribute to a modern economy which is currently dominated by expatriate workers. The initiative with PINZ strengthens the Saudization efforts of the government. According to Wayne Mikkelsen, New Zealand Trade and Enterprise's Consul General and Trade Commissioner in the region, “the Saudi Arabian government is committed to providing the right education to help its growing youth population in securing employment. This has resulted in a strong demand for technical education and training of women who form a major part of the population. New Zealand is internationally known for its strong education system and is well placed to help the Saudi educational institutes to provide quality education. PINZ has strong expertise in technical education consultancy and has worked in the region before, having set up a polytechnic in Bahrain. This is a true partnership that will bring the best quality technical education to the country.” NZTE, the economic development agency of the New Zealand government, has helped PINZ and other companies identify education and consultancy opportunities in the Middle East as part of its strategy to seek out long-term commercial opportunities and to help them develop solutions that meet the needs of international companies and governments. PINZ is one of 10 companies taking part in a consultancy delegation visit in May 2009 by NZTE to raise the profile of New Zealand's knowledge provider and professional service capabilities in GCC countries. __
