Skill certification a must for five sectors

Saudi Arabia has made skill certification mandatory for foreign workers, including Bangladeshis, in five sectors such as plumbing, welding, automobile, electrician and air-condition mechanic.
The certification will be accredited by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA).
A pilot project has been undertaken to send skilled manpower in these sectors from Bangladesh.
Under this arrangement, Bangladeshis will have to go for jobs to the country after qualifying the test and obtaining the certificates.
Saudi Ambassador to Bangladesh Essa Youssef Essa Al Duhailan disclosed the information at a press conference on the occasion of the inauguration of the Skill Verification Programme at the Saudi Embassy in the city on Tuesday.
He said the accredited workers will be able to earn more. If the monthly wages of unskilled workers is 800-1,200 Riyals, the skilled ones will get 1,500-1,800 Riyals, he informed the event.
An agreement has been signed between the Bureau of Manpower Employment and Training (BMET) and the Saudi government agency Takanal to conduct this examination.
Two institutes of Bangladesh will provide the necessary support to take the exam, and the workers will not have to pay any money for this.
A Bangladeshi can take the exam as many times as he wants. The validity of the certificate will be for five years.
Such tests have already been launched in India and Pakistan. Traditional workers need not to undergo any such test. But if you want to work in Saudi Arabia in those five sectors, you will need a certificate, said the Saudi envoy.
Regarding the benefits of this certificate, he said, "Bangladesh benefits by investing in manpower. Secondly, the certified workers will be more competent than workers from other countries. Thirdly, they will get an opportunity to earn more."
Stating that there is no obstacle for traditional workers to go to Saudi Arabia due to this new system, he said, "Every day we are issuing 5,000 visas."
Md Shahidul Alam, director general of BMET said that through this verification, those workers will be given a competency certificate and it will be given by the Saudi authorities.
Initially, they will start a pilot project with 1,000 workers in two technical training centres, he added.

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