SAUDI GAZETTE

JEDDAH — As many as 40 disabled people have been trained in computer, electrical maintenance and carpentry at an industrial institute run by the Technical and Vocational Training Corporation (TVTC) in Makkah. The three-month program provided training based on the personal capabilities of the trainees.

Sifr Al-Ghamdi, head of the institute, said that the program allowed the participants to be punctual, independent and explore their own abilities. He added that the institute provided workshops to train the disabled individuals and to encourage them to be productive members of society.

In the same line, the technical and vocational institute in Al-Qunfudah in cooperation with the Giras Society has started a program to maintain homes of the needy people for free.

Ahmad Ba’aqil, head of the Qunfudah institute, said a number of trainers and trainees were taking part in this program as part of community services and also to enhance their skills. The institute receives requests from the public to maintain homes and they visit them to evaluate the home prior to sending a maintenance team, he said, adding that the program is scheduled for one month.

Meanwhile, TVTC Governor Ahmad Al-Fuhaid called on extending the third phase of Atqin training program to give a chance to more members of the public to join. The 11 courses at the third phase include maintenance of electronic devices, home electricity, air-conditioning, car maintenance, sewing, hairstyle, makeup, photography and graphic design.

A total of 33,235 individuals, 33 percent of them women, have applied for the training program since its start. The most in-demand training courses are for the maintenance of computers and electronic devices. Women, however, were eager to register for the car maintenance courses, with 1,751 females already registering for the programs.

The courses are provided at different Saudi cities and all trainees will be granted accredited certificates by the TVTC. The aim is to enhance the skills of Saudis of both genders in order to achieve the goals of Vision 2030.