Saudi Skill Verification Program (SVP) and Professional Verification of Expatriate Workers – London, 5–9 Jul 2027

Programme overview

Technical depth: Practitioner · Practical mode: Case study

Introduction

Employers recruiting skilled workers into Saudi Arabia must now show, through the Professional Accreditation programme, that each worker passes the Skill Verification Program (SVP) trade test or clears Professional Verification of qualifications and experience. When occupation codes, certificates and test results are handled informally, mobilisation stalls, work permits are delayed and underqualified workers reach safety-critical tasks. This Core Concept course equips HR and recruitment staff to classify roles, coordinate SVP theory and practical tests, verify credentials and manage failures alongside international assessment standards. Participants leave with an SVP and Professional Verification Plan and tracker.

Course Objectives

• Classify expatriate roles using the Saudi Standard Classification of Occupations and ISCO-08 so that the correct SVP or Professional Verification route is applied
• Apply international assessment and fair recruitment standards when working with SVP test centres and recruitment agencies
• Run the verification process from occupation alignment and SVP test scheduling to document checks and candidate briefing
• Detect document fraud, SVP test failures and occupation mismatches, and follow a defined decision route for each
• Prepare an SVP and Professional Verification Plan that keeps hiring on schedule and leaves records ready for inspection

Target Audience

• HR officers responsible for expatriate hiring files and employment documentation
• Recruitment coordinators managing overseas recruitment agencies and candidate pipelines
• Mobilisation and onboarding staff preparing new arrivals for deployment
• Workforce compliance officers maintaining occupation, qualification and work permit records
• Technical training coordinators preparing workers for practical trade tests

Course Outline

Day 1: Professional Accreditation Foundations and the Workforce Profile

• Saudi Professional Accreditation Programme: SVP Skills Testing and Professional Verification Services
• Occupational Classification Using the Saudi Standard Classification of Occupations and ISCO-08
• Qualification Mapping with the Saudi Standard Classification of Educational Levels and Specialisations and ISCED 2011
• Expatriate Workforce Profile by Occupation Code and Skill Level
• Verification Requirement Matrix: SVP Trade Test Versus Professional Verification of Credentials

Day 2: Standards and Frameworks for Assessing Workers

• ISO 10667-1:2020 Client Requirements for Assessment Service Delivery
• ISO 10667-2:2020 Service Provider Obligations and Test Administration
• ISO/IEC 17024:2026 Principles of Credible Certification of Persons
• ILO General Principles and Operational Guidelines for Fair Recruitment
• UNESCO Global Convention on the Recognition of Qualifications (2019)

Day 3: Running SVP and Professional Verification

• Occupation Code Alignment Across Job Offer, Contract, Visa and Qiwa Work Permit Records
• SVP Theory and Practical Test Scheduling Tracker with Test Centres and Recruitment Agencies
• Document Verification Checklist: Certificates, Transcripts and Experience Letters
• Professional Verification Workflow for High-Skill Occupations: Qualifications and Experience
• Candidate Briefing Pack and SVP Test-Day Readiness Checklist

Day 4: Failures, Fraud and Controls

• Document Fraud Red Flags and Escalation Protocol
• SVP Test Failure, Retest and Occupation Reclassification Decision Tree
• Recruitment Agency Scorecard: SVP Pass Rates, Rework and Replacement Cost
• Verification Risk Register Aligned to ISO 31000:2018
• Candidate Personal Data Handling Under the Saudi PDPL and ISO/IEC 27701:2025

Day 5: Case Work and the Verification Plan

• Construction Contractor Case: SVP Test Backlog in a Mass Mobilisation
• Healthcare Support Services Case: Professional Verification Mismatch Review
• Verification Workflow Mapping for an Own Recruitment Wave
• SVP and Professional Verification Plan and Tracker Drafting
• Peer Review of Plans Against the Verification Requirement Matrix

Skills You Will Gain

• Occupational Classification
• Credential Evaluation
• Trade Test Coordination
• Document Fraud Detection
• Recruitment Agency Management
• Verification Risk Control
• Candidate Data Protection

Why Attend This Course

• Return to work with an SVP and Professional Verification Plan and tracker ready for the next recruitment wave
• Reduce the delays and replacement costs that follow a failed SVP test or a rejected qualification
• Hold recruitment agencies and test centres to clear criteria for pass rates and document quality
• Exchange practical lessons with HR and recruitment staff from contracting, healthcare, hospitality and facilities sectors

Conclusion

With the Professional Accreditation programme now covering 160 labour-sending countries, verifying the skills of workers recruited into Saudi Arabia is routine hiring rather than an occasional check, and gaps show up as delayed projects and costly replacements. The course moves from classifying roles under the Saudi occupational classification, through the international standards for assessment and fair recruitment, to scheduling SVP tests, running Professional Verification and handling failures. The final day produces an SVP and Professional Verification Plan for the next recruitment wave.