Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development Celebrates World Youth Skills Day

The Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development participated in celebrating World Youth Skills Day on July 15, with this year's theme being "Youth Skills for Peace and Development." This celebration coincides with significant progress in skills and training indicators within the Saudi labor market.   

The IMD World Competitiveness Yearbook revealed that the Kingdom improved by 11 places in the employee training index, ranking 10th globally. The INSEAD Global Talent Competitiveness Report also indicated that in 2024, the Kingdom advanced by two places in the labor productivity per employee index, achieving 9th place globally, and by three places in the ease of finding skilled employees index, achieving 5th place globally.
The Ministry is dedicated to developing the skills of the nation's youth, providing them with the necessary skills for the current and future labor market, enhancing their role in comprehensive and sustainable development, and contributing to building a prosperous future in line with the targets of Saudi Vision 2030. The Ministry continues to invest in youth skills and creativity, enhancing society's ability to adapt to challenges and creating new opportunities in the era of innovation. This is achieved through various developmental and financing initiatives, training and qualification programs, support and empowerment services for social services beneficiaries, and promoting women's participation through leadership training and mentoring programs to prepare them for leadership roles in both the public and private sectors.
The Ministry has significantly contributed to developing national cadres' skills by establishing sectoral skills councils, an initiative under the labor market strategy. It launched and activated 12 sectoral skills councils with over 200 members and ten leading ministries. Additionally, the National Training Campaign initiative "Waad" aims to provide 1,155,000 training opportunities by the end of 2025. Other initiatives include occupational planning, building national occupational standards, the National Program to Motivate Employers to Commit to Providing Training Opportunities, and a ministerial decision requiring establishments with 50 or more employees to disclose their training data annually. The Ministry also launched three skills and training forums across the Kingdom.
It is worth noting that the Ministry is committed to providing more opportunities to develop future skills for all youth beneficiaries, aligning with its vision of fostering an empowered, vibrant society and a distinguished work environment towards an attractive labor market.