Silatech, a Qatar-based social initiative focused on improving employment and entrepreneurship opportunities for young Arabs, has signed an agreement with a sustainable social enterprise Glowork to join forces to support employment opportunities for Saudi women.

Saudi-based Glowork seeks to increase access to employment for women and increase diversity in the Saudi workforce through the first Web portal specifically devoted to female recruitment in the GCC.

As part of the agreement, Silatech will introduce its Tamheed program, a series of psychometric assessment tests designed to help users make objective and informed decisions on their future careers, to Glowork’s offerings.

Silatech said it will also build capacity by training Glowork staff as certified Tamheed career advisors.

Glowork will integrate the newly-developed Tamheed HR tools into its current screening and job placement initiatives targeting young, unemployed Saudi women.

Silatech will also support Glowork’s upcoming “Step Ahead,” conference in April. The event is the first of its kind to focus primarily on local college graduates in Saudi Arabia.

Silatech CEO Dr Tarik M. Yousef said, “For our region to fully realize its economic and social potential, we need to more effectively utilize the skills and talents of all of our young people.”

"In addition to the difficulties young people already face in entering the workforce, young women have sometimes faced extra barriers of their own. Through this initiative with Glowork, Silatech is supporting an innovative approach that opens doors of opportunity for young women while at the same time respecting local culture and traditions," he added.

Glowork founder and CEO Khalid Al Khudair pointed out that 85 per cent of the Saudis that were unemployed comprised women, which accounted to over 1.2 million.
 
"This agreement comes at a critical time, and coincides with the Saudi government’s efforts to improve the employment conditions for women and achieve diversity in the work force," he added.-TradeArabia News Service