A special government and private sector committee has been set up to find job opportunities for graduates of the King's Scholarship Program, reported Al-Watan Arabic daily on Thursday. The committee consists of representatives from the ministries of Higher Education, Civil Service and Labor, in addition to representatives from the various chambers of commerce and industry, said Dr. Muhammad Al-Jizan, spokesman of the Ministry of Higher Education. He said the ministry has contacted officials at the ministries of Civil Service and Labor and the chambers of commerce in all regions to determine the number of public and private sector jobs available. Al-Jizan said that the ministry is not responsible for the employment of these graduates. “We resorted to this plan to find specializations needed by the labor market before students are selected for the King's Scholarship Program. The ministry will direct students to study these specializations when they are offered scholarships.” He said the ministry has also been in contact with various companies in the country including the Saudi Basic Industries Corporation (SABIC), Aramco, and telecommunication firms. Career days will be held with these companies in the countries where Saudi students study. Students will be able to meet recruiters face-to-face and sign contracts. The jobs plan is a result of complaints received by the Ministry of Higher Education from graduates who have not been able to find jobs despite having postgraduate degrees.
