Bridging the skills gap for KSA’s ambitious transformation

This article originally appeared on Linkedin.

Today, on Saudi's 91st National Day, the simple message and theme for this year, “A Home for Us”, is true to all of us living in the Kingdom. Never before in Saudi Arabia’s history have we seen such rapid transformation and collective determination to achieve the Saudi Vision 2030 – an agenda that puts the development of its people at the forefront.

The government's investment in the skills, knowledge, and mindset of its nationals during this period of transformation aims to create a highly skilled workforce that leads not just regionally, but also on the global stage. A great example of this commitment is the newly refreshed Human Capability Development Program (HCDP) by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman which focuses on upskilling nationals by providing lifelong learning opportunities, supporting innovation and entrepreneurship culture, and developing and activating policies and enablers to ensure KSA competitiveness. 

As a career veteran in skills development, I am heartened to see how the nation is evolving; and as we celebrate National Day, we are reminded of how far we’ve come. Maintaining a firm commitment to this ongoing development will be crucial to the nations’ future. And it is our responsibility, as organisations and individuals, to embrace the government’s vision and contribute to its fulfilment.

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has the advantage of a young eager-to-learn Saudi population, and a strong innovation landscape; both crucial elements to developing a fit-for-future workforce. The real game-changer, though, to achieving the Saudi Vision 2030 will be the transformation of its workforce. For this, it is imperative to cultivate a change mindset to ensure that the workforce is not just aligned, but actively embrace the transformation agenda for real impact. A collective focus on upskilling will drive the transformation agenda across the Kingdom, make people more employable and foster a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship.

• At the foundation level, it is important to provide the youth of the nation with the right knowledge and skills to make them employment-ready.
• At the professional level, it is critical to close the skills gap between the competencies of the workforce and what the market needs.
• At the leadership level, we need to invest in new-age leaders and visionaries who will embrace, empower and cascade the change.

Over the past 20 years, I have worked extensively with government entities and large organisations, and I can confidently say that never before has the future looked this promising.Through working together, we will grow Saudi’s leaders of tomorrow and continue to give this incredible place we call home a promising and exciting future.

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