Box Hill Institute (BHI) in Melbourne (Australia) recently implemented a teacher training program in vocational education and provided training to a group of 37 trainers from the Kingdom. The move comes in the wake of strengthening mutual educational relations between Saudi Arabia and Australia.
The program, conducted for the General Organization for Technical and Vocational Training (GOTEVOT), ran for 12 weeks from early April to late June, said James Stafford, executive manager in international at BHI.
BHI has a strong track record in teacher training, having successfully trained over 12,500 teachers. This includes over 1,000 international trainings for clients such as the Malaysian Department of Education, the Indonesian Ministry of Education and Middle East clients in the UAE, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia.
BHI provided additional services to their Saudi guests for the GOTEVOT teachers’ training program. Besides delivering the internationally recognized training qualification, the Certificate IV in Training and Assessment (TAE40110), each participant had a personal coach for mentoring and an additional subject matter expert “buddy” to guide them through class work and activities.
BHI has significant expertise in organizing and managing professional development programs for international vocational education and training teachers. An example of pre-departure preparations included videoconference briefings with Saudi participants to cover items such as telecommunications, traveling and living overseas, as well as cultural expectations and likely challenges.
Tips on weather and what to wear were also among points of discussion, as the shift from a Saudi summer to winter in Melbourne can take some by surprise. Welcome packs were provided on arrival, including tickets and information on public transport, halal restaurants and food supplies, as well as the location and prayer times of local mosques.
BHI also organized visa assistance, medical insurance, transfers, accommodation, on-site prayer rooms and English language testing and tutoring.
Feedback on the program was overwhelmingly positive and trainers successfully completed the course.
Saudi technical teachers complete training in Australia
Saudi technical teachers complete training in Australia
Children’s Theater Festival opens in Qassim region
- To develop future ‘cultural architects,’ says CEO Khaled Al-Baz
- ‘Nurture creativity, aesthetic awareness and sense of belonging’
BURAIDAH: The Qassim Children’s Theater Festival opened on Tuesday bringing together professionals from across Saudi Arabia and the Gulf.
The event is being held under the patronage of Prince Dr. Faisal bin Mishaal bin Saud bin Abdulaziz, governor of Qassim, at the Science Center in Unaizah governorate.
It has been Organized by the Theater and Performing Arts Association and executed by the Unaizah Theater Association, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
Running until Jan. 31, it features shows, panel discussions, as well as training workshops to develop children’s theater and strengthen professional skills in the field.
Khaled Al-Baz, CEO of the Theater and Performing Arts Association, told the SPA the festival forms part of a broader strategy to position children’s theater as a distinct cultural sector.
“Children today constitute genuine audiences — tomorrow’s cultural architects,” Al-Baz said.
Ahmed Al-Humaimidi, president of the Unaizah Theater Association, said it was an investment in young people, noting that it extends beyond performances to include cultural and educational programming.
He said the initiative aims to nurture creativity, aesthetic awareness and a sense of belonging, while also identifying emerging talent and encouraging knowledge exchange among theater practitioners.
“Our association recognizes children’s theater as foundational to cultivating aware, creative character,” he said.
The festival serves as both an artistic showcase and a platform for professional dialogue, reflecting the Kingdom’s expanding cultural landscape and growing focus on children’s theater as an educational and cultural tool, the SPA noted.
This occurs alongside support for signature initiatives and performing arts promotion as quality-of-life enhancement.
