Development of a vocational qualification for environmental health in Saudi Arabia (20m Lecture)

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is embarking on one of the largest technical and vocational training upgrades in the world, aimed at dramatically increasing annual training capacity from about 100,000 students today to 300,000 by 2020, while simultaneously developing the quality of the vocational training and assessment/qualification systems. The proportion of the Saudi workforce currently receiving vocational training is less than 10%, but the Kingdom has set an ambitious target figure of 40-45%, which would bring Saudi Arabia in line with the majority of developed countries. According to the accreditation agency, Saudi Skills Standards, “getting more young people – male and female – into high quality Technical and Vocational Training is the single most important factor for success in the labour market”.

AlphaPlus Consultancy in the UK has been appointed to work for Saudi Skills Standards as part of a project team to help develop national occupational standards and qualifications for 49 occupations – one of which is ‘Public Health/Environmental Health Officer’ - people who investigate health hazards in a wide variety of locations, and will take action to mitigate or eliminate the hazards. 
This session will explain how National Occupational Standards for environmental health in Saudi Arabia have been developed and reviewed, and how these standards were incorporated into the development of a vocational qualification in environmental health. Delegates will be invited to consider how the approach could be applicable in other contexts, particularly where increasing vocational training capacity is a priority.