RIYADH: Graduates are being urged to take advantage of paid on-the-job-training opportunities in the Kingdom, the Saudi Press Agency reported. The Saudi Human Resources Development Fund (HRDF) said 4,608 training opportunities were available for university graduates as part of the Tamheer program. It urged graduates to acquire the necessary expertise and skills required for the Kingdom’s labor market through practical training in government institutions, international organizations and outstanding firms in the private sector. Trainees receive financial support of SR3,000 ($800) a month during the three to six month-long training period. They also get a certificate of experience after completing the program, and the HRDF provides occupational hazard insurance for the duration of training. Applicants must be unemployed Saudi nationals with a bachelor’s, master’s or doctorate and cannot have previously benefited from the program. It is open to men and women. The unemployment rate in Saudi Arabia dipped to 12.5 percent in the first quarter of 2019, according to official data released in June by the General Authority for Statistics. SPA Riyadh