Saudi to open 10 colleges of excellence Nationwide from September

Technical and Vocational Training Corporation

A host of agreements pertaining to the establishment of Colleges of Excellence (CoE) in the Kingdom were signed here recently. Ali Bin Nasser Al-Ghafis, Governor of the Technical and Vocational Training Corporation (TVTC) and Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors of CoE signed the agreements with several world class education providers.

Based on these agreements, 10 colleges will begin operating as Colleges of Excellence by the beginning of September across eight major cities in the Kingdom, including Riyadh, Jeddah and Makkah.

In a speech read on his behalf, Adel Fakeih, Minister of Labor and Chairman of the Board of Directors of CoE, highlighted the significant and positive impact this new initiative will have on the Kingdom.

“Education has a tremendous impact on both, the nation and the lives of individuals. Behind every great nation is a great system of education. In collaboration with our international partners, Colleges of Excellence will raise the bar in setting new standards for technical training in Saudi Arabia,” he said.

Commenting on the benefits these new colleges will bring, Dr. Al-Ghafis said: “CoE will help create a stronger, more skilled Saudi Arabia — not only through a more skilled national workforce, but also by catalyzing the development of new and highly skilled national industries in the automotive, aerospace and chemical industries, among others.”

“CoE graduates will not be like the technical college graduates of 30 years ago. They will be highly-paid specialists whose passion for the latest technology will help place them at the vanguard of the country’s continued globalization,” he added.

Also addressing the event, Dr. Abdulkareem Hamad Al-Nijaidi, Deputy Director General of the Human Resources Development Fund (HRDF), said: “Giving our people the right skills today will ensure that, as a country, we are best placed to create strong and productive industries that can serve customers worldwide, in turn benefiting from tomorrow’s growth industries.”

The establishment of CoE is the Kingdom’s answer to develop the technical vocational education and training system. The cornerstone of this development includes expanding the system from about 110,000 students today to more than 450,000 students by 2020.

CoE has recruited some of the most highly-respected vocational training providers from across the world, taking on board their expertise and best practical approach to higher education and training.

Among the highly respected leaders in education that CoE has partnered with are Laureate (United States), Nescot and TQ (United Kingdom) and Mondragon (Spain).

Tailoring international world class standards to meet the needs and requirements of local employers and industries within the Kingdom, CoE will provide students with the right training and relevant skills to rapidly prepare them for the workplace, empowering them to make a positive contribution from the start.

Students will be able to choose from a variety of specialties which include Business and Administration and Information Technology, among several others, and will have the opportunity to enroll in two admission periods: the first period spanning from June 12 until July 17 and the second from Aug. 1 to Aug. 31.