Saudi Arabia is on the verge of rolling out its comprehensive plan for enhancing human skills within the industrial and mining domains, as stated by Eng. Faris Alsaqabi, the Deputy Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources for Human Capacity Development. The upcoming announcement will reveal the national strategy and accompanying programs aimed at nurturing talent and meeting the sector’s objectives.
During a visit to the Food Industries Institute in Al-Kharj, Alsaqabi outlined the progress in training initiatives and the push towards Saudization. He highlighted the ministry’s commitment to generating 2.1 million jobs and its focus on the vocational preparation and upskilling of the workforce.
Efforts are underway to collaborate with educational institutions across the Kingdom, such as King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals, which has recently introduced a Department of Mining Engineering. Similarly, partnerships with Princess Nourah Bint Abdulrahman University are in motion to encourage women’s participation in the industrial workforce, along with engagements with King Abdulaziz University and King Saud University.
Alsaqabi shed light on the collaborative initiatives between the Ministry of Industry and the Ministry of Education aimed at embedding a culture of industrial innovation in school curricula. This initiative places a strong emphasis on equipping students with the skills pertinent to the labor market and those fostered by the Fourth Industrial Revolution, particularly as they pertain to the industrial and mining sectors.
The deputy minister emphasized the Ministry’s dedication to lifelong learning, beginning from early childhood and extending beyond formal education. The goal is to perpetually enhance the capabilities and efficiency of the industrial workforce, ensuring they are equipped with cutting-edge skills shaped by the advancements of the Fourth Industrial Revolution.
