Silatech, Glowork join to boost employment opportunities for Saudi women

Glowork is a sustainable social enterprise which 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.

Through the agreement, Silatech will introduce its Tamheed programme, a series of psychometric assessment tests designed to help users make objective and informed decisions on their future careers, to Glowork's offerings. Silatech will build capacity by training Glowork staff as certified Tamheed career advisors. Glowork will also 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.

According to Glowork, 85% of the Saudis that are unemployed are women, which account to over 1.2 million.

Silatech CEO Dr. Tarik M. Yousef stressed that "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."

He added, "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."

Glowork Founder and CEO Khalid AlKhudair said: "We are happy to be working with Silatech and to draw upon their expertise in helping youth and young women access the job market and participate in economic development, given that a high majority of Saudi women are well-educated. 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."