Competency tests eyed for 20 professions for all expatriates

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Bid to improve quality, skills of workers coming to Kuwait

KUWAIT CITY, Sept 7: Deputy Director General of Planning and Administrative Development Sector at the Public Authority for Manpower (PAM), Iman Al-Ansari, said final touches are being given to the application of what she called competency tests for 20 professions for all expatriates seeking to work in Kuwait.

Al-Ansari revealed the tests will be conducted outside Kuwait for these professions in countries from where Kuwait imports its manpower needs especially those hired to work in various types of establishments such as restaurants, shopping malls, stores, cooperative societies, hotels and food stores.

She said this is on the sidelines of an inspection campaign of restaurants at the Sheikh Jaber Cultural Center, to ensure the employers and expatriate workers abide by the health laws and requirements set by the concerned authorities.

Delayed
She added the coronavirus crisis delayed the plan to test those arriving for work, but after the gradual return “we have put the final touches to apply the tests to all those coming to work for these professions.” Al-Ansari stated the aim is to improve the quality and the skills of workers coming to Kuwait.

She added the sector also trains the Kuwaitis, as “we are keen to upgrade the labor competency of the Kuwaitis to make them productive. We cannot achieve this goal unless the workforce is productive,” she added. “Currently, she went to say, “The testing procedures are carried out inside Kuwait, and the trend is if we succeed in the first phase we are looking forward to conducting a test in the countries from where we bring workers.”

On the issue of inspection campaigns which are being carried out recently, Al-Ansari indicated the sector is cooperating with the Ministry of Health by inspecting complexes, markets and retail stores, so that the general requirements of the Ministry of Health must be fulfilled with regard to continuous sterilization and taking temperature of employees and visitors to ensure they are not infected with the coronavirus, reports Al-Rai daily.

She explained since June 30 PAM teams have visited 35,000 sites – associations, restaurants, salons, clubs, and various types of retail stores, stressing that efforts are continuing in cooperation with the various authorities to ensure that all facilities adhere to the requirements of the Ministry of Health such as social distancing, commitment to wear face masks, particularly restaurant workers who must wear the gloves because of their contact with the food.

This news has been read 172268 times!