Activation Policies for the Poor in OIC Member States
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 Providing job matching mechanisms
This section highlights the range of services provided and then details how the current Job
Placement Centre operates. The range of job search support includes:
1 Job Placement Centres (JPCs): The JPCs are the most significant employment channel in Saudi
Arabia. There are 27 JPCs nationwide and these include separate centres for males and females.
There are four providers that run JPCs. Ingeus ran the Taqat pilot across 5 cities in 2011 and
remain in the market with 7 JPCs. Currently, Avanta run 9 of these JPCs and are the newest
entrant to the market. The other two providers are Maximus Gulf and a Saudi provider, Taqat
Elm (a partnership comprised of Working Links and a local organisation), who deliver services
through 6 JPCs each.
2 Recruitment Offices: These offices provide job matching services with key employers. Providers
are paid by results. There are 36 local offices nationwide and the service is currently being
managed by a private organisation as a managing agent.
3 Online Jobs Portal: This service, known as Taqat Online, is a job searching and matching site.
This gives jobseekers direct contact with employers with minimal need for intervention. In
early September 2014, there was a total of 1,673 jobs listed via this portal.
4 Jobs Fairs: Jobs Fairs are held in cities to assess and support jobseekers and are delivered by a
contractor. These ‘Liqa’at’ have been held in different cities throughout the country and some
are industry targeted. The contractor is paid by results and receives referrals from HRDF.
5 Virtual Jobs Fairs: Called E-Liqa’at, this is an online portal that facilitates virtual interviews.
Employers can post vacancies and jobseekers can apply. This channel is used less than others.
6 Tele-JPCs: This is similar to the service offered through JPCs but the service is delivered through
a call centre. It is intended to help individuals that live in remote areas of the country.
7 Graduate Jobs Portal: TaqatGrads is an online jobs portal that directly caters to the needs of
graduate students, providing careers services as well as job listings. In early September, 670
jobs were listed on this website.
As identified from the range of services provided, there is currently significant investment in
employment services. The government has put aside a large budget to tackle a series of labour
market challenges – Reuters have reported that the MoL is willing to spend around SR15 billion
(US$3.9billion) annually on labour reform. In addition, the government’s budget review and setting
process provides the opportunity to inject additional funding should this be required in order to
meet policy and delivery objectives.
Public employment services are free for employers. Employers are encouraged to register their
vacancies on job matching portals. The payment by results mechanisms encourage providers such as
the JPCs to engage with employers to source vacancies for the individuals referred to their support
services.
The JPCs aim to support individuals into employment by providing access to a wide range of tailored
employment support. This is achieved by:
 Mobilising young people through the creation of individual or group enterprises
 Monitoring of beneficiaries in job placement and self-employment
 Proposal of a financial mechanism that will support the young employed and youth
entrepreneurs
 Mobilisation of lines of credit and creation of financial structures throughout all 10 regions to
support junior enterprises