An increasing number of young Saudis have started finding jobs in retail electronic showrooms, thanks to the vocational training program launched by the Technical and Vocational Training Corporation (TVTC) in cooperation with private sector companies. The positive outcome of this program was evident from the number of Saudi candidates who underwent training after a similar partnership program between the TVTC and the United Electronics Company (UEC) a collaborative effort that awarded certificates to over 300 young Saudis in retail sales. Abdullah Abdullatif Al-Fauzan, UEC chairman, announced that his company had ambitious plans to expand the training program to other major cities in the Kingdom to train more young Saudis for careers in retail showrooms. “My company has ambitious expansion plans and opening a number of stores in major Saudi cities which will create new job opportunities for Saudi youth,” Al-Fauzan said. He said that there are currently 14 eXtra showrooms in the Kingdom including five in Riyadh. Under the expansion program, the number of eXtra stores will reach 22 by 2011, he said. UEC stresses corporate social responsibility and the opening of more eXtra stores also means the creation of job opportunities and the developing of human resources and helping young Saudis attain skills, creativity and innovative talent, he said. Al-Fauzan said after graduation the candidates also receive on-the-job training opportunities at eXtra stores. Mohammed Galal, UEC CEO, said the demand for electronic products has been on the rise in the Kingdom. The size of the electronics market is more than SR5 billion, representing 23.8 percent of the total electronics and home appliances market, he said. TVTC, formerly known as GOTEVOT (General Organization for Technical Education and Vocational Training) is the government's leading entity created to provide training for young Saudis. With technical institutions across the Kingdom, TVTC caters to more than 120,000 trainees in over 100 locations. TVTC implements an ambitious expansion program and plans to open more than 50 new colleges in the next ten years.
