Female Saudi graduates trained in various IT-related fields are in great demand in the Kingdom, according to officials who attended a graduation ceremony here Sunday of a training program organized by Microsoft Saudi Arabia and its key partners. Job opportunities were offered on the spot to Saudi women graduates who received certificates after successfully completing a five-week training course related to IT products and solutions. Hisham Al-Bawab, Microsoft Saudi Arabia Manager for Partners Strategy and Programs, said 15 general managers and CEOs of leading companies were present at the graduation ceremony “and conducted on-the-spot interviews with the successful Saudi women candidates”. Microsoft Saudi Arabia, as part of its social corporate responsibility (CSR), is committed to training at least 1,000 Saudi women graduates over the next three years and to creating a strong base for Saudi women in the IT profession, Al-Bawab said. The IT training program is free and any Saudi woman graduate can enroll during the next three years. The selection criteria for entering the program include having a university degree in any field, basic knowledge of the English language and some computer skills. In the program, Saudi women are trained to work in various types of IT-related job categories such as telesales, telemarketing or other fields with a similar IT environment, he said. During the first phase of the training program, Al-Nahda Philanthropic Society for Women is working closely with Microsoft Saudi Arabia to produce a maximum number of Saudi women graduates. Al-Bawab said that companies are ready to offer immediate employment opportunities for Saudi women graduates who successfully complete training courses at various centers in Saudi Arabia. Al-Bawab said six candidates have been trained under the teach the trainer program. These candidates will be responsible for future training programs that will be organized in different major Saudi cities. A training program will be organized in Jeddah next month and in other cities later, he said. Saudi women graduates are welcome to enroll for the training program and receive employment offers, he said. “In fact, employment opportunities for successful candidates are available right after the graduation ceremony,” he added. He said Microsoft Saudi Arabia and its 1,300 key partners will be present at each graduation ceremony for on-the-spot interviews and job offers.
