Pakistan and Saudi Arabia have inked two agreements related to worker recruitment and skill verification for Pakistani workers employed in the country, According to a statement released by the Foreign Office on Sunday.
The agreements were signed during Minister of Education and Professional Training Shafqat Mahmood’s visit to Saudi Arabia.
According to the FO, the agreement on worker recruitment will help to streamline the process of exporting workers from Pakistan to Saudi Arabia in a variety of professions while also protecting their legal rights and providing comprehensive legal protection to Pakistani nationals working in the kingdom. The agreement will also assist in the resolution of contractual problems and the pursuit of legal action against recruitment offices, organisations, or agencies who violate the agreement.
The skills verification agreement will boost the export of skilled and certified Pakistani workers to the monarchy.
According to the FO statement, one of Prime Minister Imran Khan’s priority sectors is imparting new skills and assuring certification of Pakistani workers to boost their employability overseas. “Certification for our trained manpower would provide chances for Pakistan’s technical workforce to obtain internationally recognised training and certifications,” the statement continued.
The agreements were signed at a ceremony at the Saudi Arabian Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development by Shafqat Mahmood and Dr Ahmad Jabbar Al Yamni, according to the education ministry. Senior officials from both countries were present.
“By joint certification and testing by Takamol Saudi Arabia and National Vocational and Technical Training Commission (NAVTTC) Pakistan, this important cooperation between both countries has far-reaching impact for enhancing employment opportunities for skilled Pakistani workforce,” the statement said.
“This measure [agreements] will also protect Saudi Arabia’s existing Pakistani workforce.” As a result of the government of Pakistan’s initiatives, millions of Pakistani skilled workers are likely to find productive employment prospects with greater pay,” it added.
According to the statement, NAVTTC and Takamol, a Saudi Arabian government subsidiary, were establishing a testing regime under the Skills Verification Programme (SVP) by exchanging NOS (National Occupational Standards) and facilitating skill verification of candidates through competency-based assessment (theory and practical) at exam centres in Pakistan for candidates wishing to work in Saudi Arabia.
Through a Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) assessment, Pakistan’s skilled workers will be able to obtain credible and internationally recognised joint certification from Takamol and NAVTTC.
The Saudi ministry, according to the press release, will implement the SVP in July 2021 to manage the labour market. Following the adoption of the SVP, skill verification has become a requirement for Pakistani migrants wishing to work in Saudi Arabia.
It’s worth noting that the majority of Pakistan’s expatriate labour is based in Saudi Arabia, where they contribute significantly to the country’s economy through remittances. The majority of the current Pakistani labour in the kingdom is classified as unskilled or semiskilled, which means lower pay and a detrimental impact on remittances, according to the press release.
Furthermore, given the shifting landscape of labour regulations and the realities of the global labour market, a substantial number of Pakistani workers require skills certification because their qualifications, abilities, and certification are currently unrecognised. This collaboration will benefit a huge number of these employees while also contributing to national productivity and development.
Saudi Arabia is the single greatest source of remittances to Pakistan, with over two million Pakistani migrants living there. According to Arab News, Pakistani expats in Saudi Arabia sent $5.7 billion home between July and March 2021.
Minister pays a visit to a radio station.
Shafqat Mahmood, the Saudi Education Minister, also paid a visit to the Saudi Broadcasting School “IEN” in Riyadh. Mr Mahmood was welcomed at the school by Saudi Education Minister Hamad Bin Mohammed Al Al-Sheikh and Vice Minister for Education Dr Saad Bin Saud Al Fahid, who briefed him on the state-of-the-art living facility that was set up in 15 days to deal with learning losses during the Covid-19 outbreak.
Mahmood praised IEN’s live streaming school systems, as well as the content’s quality, distribution, and outreach mechanisms.
According to the press release, “it was decided that both IEN Saudi Arabia and TeleSchool Pakistan will interact and share experiences, procedures, and technologies to promote distant learning education in order to provide excellent education in remote areas.”
