Twenty-seven new technical colleges of excellence will be opened across the Kingdom in September with the support of major international service providers, Labor Minister Adel Fakeih announced on Wednesday.

Speaking at a workshop organized jointly by the Education and Labor Ministries, he said the new colleges would accommodate 53,000 Saudis and provide them with advanced technical training.

He said four million Saudi graduates would enter the job market over the next 10 years. Some 600,000 Saudis, including 300,000 university graduates and 330,000 high school graduates, flood the market every year.

The workshop participants discussed plans to align the Kingdom’s education programs with its job requirements. “This will play a big role in reducing unemployment in the country,” he said.

The two ministries would carry out joint programs to enlighten Saudis on the importance of technical and post-school training.

The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development has stated that 40 percent of jobs in future would require technical and professional skills.

Fakeih said the colleges of excellence would be established with the support of leading service providers in the field. “This will not only improve the quality of education and training but also help the Kingdom meet its job market requirements,” he said.

In a related development, Ahmed Al-Fehaid, deputy labor minister for international affairs, urged labor-exporting countries to inform their citizens about Saudi laws and provide them with skills development training. He said in Geneva that Saudi Arabia receives workers from over 100 countries, many of whom have contributed to the Saudi economic development.