The two-day orientation for the maiden deployment of the workers to Kingdom of Saudi Arabia was held at the Baobab Holiday Inn Hotel, Bijilo.
The orientation and training for the workers were meant to promote the socio-economic development of The Gambia.
Notably, the pre-departure orientation and training programme for Gambian workers slated for deployment to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia was organised by the Ministry of Trade, Industry, Regional Integration and Employment (MOTIE), in partnership with licenced recruitment agencies.
The programme aimed at equipping the workers with the necessary skills and knowledge to excel in their deployment, as well as to make familiar to them the cultural and climatic differences and labour market conditions of Saudi Arabia.
This programme brought together over 50 participants including officials from MOTIE, recruitment agencies, and qualified ready-to-deploy workers. The training covered different issues and the workers were extremely excited at the opportunity to work outside the shores of their home country.
Faba Jammeh, director of Employment at MOTIE, congratulated them for being the first cohort of Gambian workers recruited by the government through qualified agents to be deployed to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
He emphasised that they should serve as Gambia’s ambassadors to wherever they are attached to work in Saudi Arabia, and encouraged them not to listen to people’s hearsay especially those that are trying to confuse and advise them negatively.
More so, he urged them to remember the terms and condition of employment as per agreement signed and avoid intruders that are ready to bring them backwards rather than improving their lives positively.
He applauded the governments of The Gambia and Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for giving this opportunity while reminding them that other countries like Ethiopia, Kenya, Senegal and others are benefitting from this. “So be our good ambassadors to give chance to others and better review of your contract.”
Modou Camara, one of the private recruitment agents from outsource, applauded the recruited workers for their boldness and readiness to work outside the shores of their country through legal means rather than going through ‘backway’ which is illegal and gives no comfort.
The training packages from different trainers covered skill development and self-actualisation fulfillment, benefits and challenges of labour migration. Laws and policies needed to travel to work in destination countries which include employment contracts, international passports, entry visas, work permits, medical certificates among other topics were covered with the recruited applicants for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia work employment.
