The Ministry of Higher Education has signed an MoU with three companies to seek assistance for Maldivian skill development programs.

In a ceremony held today at the Ministry of Higher Education, agreements were signed with Maldives Airports Company Limited (MACL), Villa Group, and Maldives Water and Sewerage Company (MWSC).

Minister Dr. Mariyam Mariya signed on behalf of the Ministry of Higher Education. MACL CEO and Managing Director Ibrahim Shareef Mohamed signed for MACL, while MWSC Managing Director Abdul Matheen Mohamed signed for MWSC. Villa Resorts Private Limited's Group Director of Learning and Development Hassan Shamah signed on behalf of Villa.

The Ministry of Higher Education stated that the purpose of the MoU is to provide technical assistance for career guidance programs conducted through the National Careers Service to raise awareness about jobs, and to collaborate in efforts to create job opportunities for workers under the agreed terms with the participants.

Additionally, the MoU aims to open apprenticeship opportunities to develop skills needed for workers and to share information related to the participants' fields with the Ministry according to set principles to build a system that provides the latest information about workers.

At the ceremony, MACL CEO and Managing Director Shareef said that under this MoU, areas and ways of collaboration with the Ministry will be identified.

"We always proudly say that skilled Maldivians will be in key roles. We are working internally to develop Maldivians in this area. I want to highlight that the results of such collaborative work are good," Shareef said.

The SAILS Project, supported by the World Bank, includes facilitating the learning of important job skills for Maldivians active in the country's job market, planning and implementing programs to increase Maldivians in the tourism sector, working to increase women's participation in the job market, and planning and implementing programs to increase people with special needs in the job market.

The Ministry also said that through these efforts, the National Careers Service will be developed and the services of the platform connecting workers and employers will be strengthened and expanded.