The delegation was received by Dr. Fady Hassouna, Dean of the College; Eng. Alaa Darwish, Head of the Studies and Projects Department; and Eng. Ahmad Al-Sadda, Head of the Workshops and Laboratories Department, and Mr. Asad Awad, Public Relations Coordinator. Dr. Hassouna welcomed the delegation and expressed the College’s appreciation for the Agency’s efforts in supporting technical and vocational education and training.
During the meeting, the College presented an overview of its academic programs, activities, and projects. The College also expressed its interest in establishing a partnership with the Agency to further develop its training programs, upgrade its workshops and laboratories, and expand work-based learning opportunities, thereby enhancing students’ skills and improving graduates’ employment prospects.
Representatives from the private sector also participated in the meeting, including Eng. Qusai Fahd from United Company and Eng. Khamis Al-Oshaibi from United Forklift Company, along with a number of HHCT students who had participated in work-based learning experiences. The delegation heard directly from the students about their experiences and from employers about the skills and competencies required in the labor market.
The College highlighted some of the key challenges facing the implementation of Work-Based Learning (WBL), including the limited availability of training opportunities within companies, the need to better align practical assignments with students’ fields of specialization, and the importance of strengthening supervision throughout the training process. The College also presented several proposals to address these challenges, including expanding its network of partner companies, developing joint training plans with employers, and improving mechanisms for monitoring students’ progress and assessing the skills they acquire.
The visit concluded with a tour of the College’s workshops and laboratories, where the delegation learned about the available training facilities and opportunities for their further development. At the end of the visit, the College presented a commemorative plaque to the Belgian Agency for International Cooperation in appreciation of the delegation’s visit and the Agency’s efforts in supporting technical and vocational education and training.