The Jeddah-based Saudi Japanese Automobile High Institute (SJAHI) implements the international standard of repairing Japanese cars that is currently implemented in Japan and many other countries around the world, said Salim Al-Asmari, director of SJAHI. The institute trains 500 students studying under the supervision of Japanese experts brought in by the eighth Japanese car companies in the Kingdom. "Each year we accept 250 students and the same number graduate," Al-Asmari added. SJAHI signed a contract with famous university in England to evaluate the academic units for graduates to continue their bachelor's degree in car repairing, Al-Asmari further said. All students have already signed the contract with Japanese car companies here to join them once they finish their course in the institute. The eighth companies are Toyota, Mazda, Honda, Nissan, Daihatsu, Mitsubishi, Isuzu and Suzuki. Each of these 8-member companies has a representative in the institute in order to finish the contracts with students. "The student is guaranteed the job before he graduates as he already signed the contract with one of the car companies here," he noted. On top of that, SJAHI students receive monthly stipend of SR1,500. The curriculum, which was prepared by the automobile producers in Japan, is comprised of 71 percent technical, 25 percent assigned for English, while the remaining 4 percent is for work ethics, computer and applied sciences. Students spend 40 intensive training hours per week, with the daily session starts at 7:30 A.M. and finishes at 3:30 P.M. "We have given them five practical hours every Thursday to get them used to work for six days in the private sector when they graduate," Al-Asmari explained. Unlike the other institutes or schools, the students devote 11 months for studying and have only one month vacation. Due to excellent graduates from the institute, the companies requested us to provide more students, he added. SJAHI recruits from 32 regions in the Kingdom aimed at sending them back to their regions to work in the branches of companies there once they graduated. The institute considered the social factor in the acceptation process. The most important condition for student acceptance in the institute is the profession eligibility. The applicant must be below 22 years old, with "good" high school certificate. "Student must practice all the areas of repairing cars before he graduates," he said. Japan government provided the training tools, while the Saudi government provided the land for the institute. The agreement with Japan government was signed in 1998 and in September 2002, SJAHI started operation. "The institute is the best choice for high school graduates because it teaches them professional skills as well as guarantees job. Those young students could open their own training center or their own repairing center in the future," he added. According to the Ministry of Labor, the Saudi market needs about 150,000 car technicians. Some 1,600 graduates joined the car companies in the Kingdom since SJAHI began. __
