Occupational Understanding
Role knowledge, technical principles, standards, risk awareness and an understanding of how ICT work supports the wider organisation.
Saudi ICT and digital workforce development
Developing Saudi Arabia's Next Generation of ICT & Telecommunications Professionals
Crown Venture Company is developing technology-enabled ICT workforce solutions for employers of all sizes across Saudi Arabia. From businesses with 2–50 employees strengthening essential IT support capabilities to SMEs and major organisations developing specialist cybersecurity, network engineering, digital operations and telecommunications teams, the proposed model combines employer-informed learning, practical simulations, workplace development and competency-based assessment. All programmes remain in development and subject to applicable Saudi regulatory approvals, written agreements and formal recognition arrangements.
Current status: programmes in development and subject to applicable approvals
Proposed framework
01
TrainBlended technical learning
02
ApplySupervised workplace experience
03
AssessIndependent assessment, subject to approval
04
ProgressEmployment and professional development
Our purpose and approach
Discover Crown Venture — Developing the Next Generation of Professionals
Discover how our Integrated Workforce Development Framework connects Occupational Understanding, Applied Capability and Professional Effectiveness, with Demonstrated Workplace Competence as its intended outcome.
75 seconds. English narration; English and Arabic subtitles are included in the picture. Illustrative workplace scenes, not actual Crown Venture employees, learners or facilities. Proposed programmes remain subject to applicable approvals; employment and qualification outcomes are not guaranteed.
Read the English transcript
The future of every industry depends on people ready to contribute. At Crown Venture, professional development means more than technical knowledge or qualifications. Our Integrated Workforce Development Framework connects three essential pillars. Occupational Understanding: knowing the work and its responsibilities. Applied Capability: putting learning into practice. Professional Effectiveness: working responsibly, independently and with others. Our approach brings these pillars together through structured learning, practical experience, mentoring, coaching, employer involvement and competency-based assessment. Employers help connect development to real duties, workplace expectations and meaningful feedback. Communication. Teamwork. Problem-solving. Time management. Sound decisions. Safeguarding, health and safety, ethical conduct, adaptability and professional responsibility. Our intended outcome is Demonstrated Workplace Competence. Our vision: capable, adaptable and employable professionals, prepared to contribute to organisations across Saudi Arabia. Crown Venture. Developing Capability. Building Professional Futures.
قراءة النص العربي
يعتمد مستقبل كل قطاع على أشخاص مستعدين للإسهام بفاعلية. في كرون فينتشر، تعني التنمية المهنية أكثر من المعرفة التقنية أو المؤهلات. يربط إطارنا المتكامل لتنمية القوى العاملة بين ثلاث ركائز أساسية. الفهم المهني: فهم العمل ومسؤولياته. القدرة التطبيقية: تحويل التعلّم إلى ممارسة. الفاعلية المهنية: العمل بمسؤولية واستقلالية وبالتعاون مع الآخرين. يجمع نهجنا هذه الركائز من خلال التعلّم المنظّم والخبرة العملية، والإرشاد والتوجيه ومشاركة أصحاب العمل والتقييم القائم على الكفاءة. يساعد أصحاب العمل على ربط التطوير بمهام حقيقية وتوقعات بيئة العمل وملاحظات بنّاءة. التواصل. والعمل الجماعي. وحل المشكلات. وإدارة الوقت. واتخاذ قرارات سليمة. والحماية، والصحة والسلامة، والسلوك الأخلاقي، والقدرة على التكيّف، والمسؤولية المهنية. النتيجة التي نستهدفها هي الكفاءة المُثبتة في بيئة العمل. رؤيتنا: مهنيون أكفاء وقادرون على التكيّف والعمل، مستعدون للإسهام في مؤسسات مختلف أنحاء المملكة العربية السعودية. كرون فينتشر. نطوّر القدرات. ونبني مستقبلاً مهنياً.
Music: “Inspired” by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com), licensed under CC BY 4.0. Excerpt, faded and mixed under narration. Open video.
Employer-informedSkills designed around workplace roles
Workplace-relevantLearning designed for practical application
Quality-focusedPlanned readiness and assessment controls
Saudi-focusedDesigned for local workforce priorities
Our vision
Global digital standards. Local opportunity.
To help Saudi nationals and eligible residents develop credible ICT and digital capability that can contribute to employers across every part of the Kingdom’s economy.
Our proposed approach is intended to contribute to workforce-development priorities associated with Saudi Vision 2030 and the Human Capability Development Program by supporting the knowledge, skills and professional capability required across a modern digital economy. Crown Venture Company does not claim government sponsorship, endorsement, funding or approval.
Read about the Human Capability Development Program ↗
Workforce Development Framework
Developing capability that works in practice.
Crown Venture’s development philosophy brings occupational understanding, practical capability and professional effectiveness together. We focus on people who understand their occupation, apply technical knowledge with sound judgement and take responsibility for their work with colleagues, customers and employers.
Applied Capability
Hands-on troubleshooting, configuration, testing, simulation and evidence-based problem-solving in realistic technical contexts.
Professional Effectiveness
Communication, teamwork, independent working, decision-making and problem-solving, alongside safeguarding, health and safety, customer awareness and professional responsibility.
The intended outcome
Demonstrated Workplace Competence
Our framework integrates Occupational Understanding, Applied Capability and Professional Effectiveness through structured training, practical workplace activity, mentoring, coaching and assessment. It defines competence through the application of technical knowledge, sound judgement and responsible professional behaviours, demonstrated through authentic tasks and evidence — not attendance, classroom learning or simulation alone.
Demonstrated Workplace Competence is our intended development outcome, not a claim of current delivery or guaranteed achievement. Training programmes remain under development; delivery, workplace access and formal assessment require the relevant agreements and applicable approvals.
Employers would help define role requirements, provide meaningful workplace activity and suitable supervision, contribute feedback and support evidence of performance. Workplace access, responsibilities and assessment arrangements would be agreed for each programme; competence would need to be demonstrated, not assumed from attendance.
Young professionals. Real-world capabilities.
Illustrative examples of the technical and professional activity that could support development. Power BI represents a cross-industry digital skill, not an additional technical pathway.
Proposed technical pathways
Practical ICT skills for employers across every industry.
These five proposed pathways are being developed for consultation with employers across Saudi Arabia’s economy. They are intended to support organisations ranging from businesses with 2–50 employees requiring essential ICT capability to SMEs, medium-sized organisations and major employers developing specialist technical teams. Final programme titles, content, delivery, assessment and recognition will be confirmed only after the relevant written agreements and applicable Saudi approvals are in place.
IT Support, Helpdesk & Digital Operations
User support, ticket handling, device configuration, operating systems, troubleshooting, service management and secure day-to-day digital operations. These capabilities are relevant to organisations in every sector that depend on reliable users, devices, systems and digital services.
Network Engineering & Infrastructure
Network design, switching, routing, IP services, wireless connectivity, infrastructure installation, monitoring, troubleshooting and secure network operations. These capabilities support connected environments including offices, hospitals, campuses, hotels, retail sites, warehouses and industrial facilities.
Telecommunications & Mobile Network Operations (4G/5G)
Mobile network principles, radio access and core-network awareness, operational monitoring, fault diagnosis, service assurance and safe field coordination. This specialist pathway is intended for telecommunications providers, infrastructure organisations and employers whose operations depend on mobile or field-network capability.
Fibre Optics & Telecom Field Engineering
Fibre preparation, termination, splicing, cleaning, optical testing, loss-budget checks, installation quality, fault location and safe field working. These capabilities may support telecommunications, construction, infrastructure, energy, industrial and large-site connectivity projects.
Cybersecurity & Security Operations
Security monitoring, vulnerability assessment, access control, incident triage, threat analysis, system hardening and evidence-based response. These capabilities are relevant across regulated and digitally dependent sectors including finance, healthcare, government, education, retail, hospitality, logistics, energy and manufacturing.
Programme names, levels, eligibility, delivery and assessment arrangements will be confirmed before enrolment. UK occupational and apprenticeship standards may inform programme design, but they do not automatically constitute an approved Saudi qualification.
Future opportunities
Future Workforce Development Pathways
Crown Venture is exploring opportunities to extend its employer-led workforce development approach into additional occupational areas, including Data Analysis and Business Intelligence, Accountancy and Finance, AI and Automation, and Advanced AI and Data Science.
The proposed AI pathways would draw on relevant English occupational standards: Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Automation Practitioner at Level 4 and Artificial Intelligence (AI) Data Specialist at Level 7. These would inform practical AI and automation capabilities and advanced data-driven AI solutions respectively.
Proposed pathways are informed by relevant English occupational standards and remain subject to employer demand, programme development and applicable Saudi approvals. References to UK levels do not imply approved qualification delivery or Saudi equivalence.
These potential pathways will be developed in consultation with employers and relevant training and professional partners, based on demonstrated workforce demand, occupational requirements and applicable regulatory approvals.
Each pathway will follow Crown Venture’s Integrated Workforce Development Framework, connecting Occupational Understanding, Applied Capability and Professional Effectiveness to demonstrated workplace competence.
Cross-industry workforce development
ICT Skills for Every Business
Digital capability is essential across every part of Saudi Arabia’s economy. Crown Venture’s proposed workforce-development model is intended to help employers strengthen the ICT capabilities required within their own organisations. It is not an outsourced or managed IT-support service.
Businesses with 2–50 employees
Build essential in-house capability for user support, device management, secure working, basic connectivity and dependable day-to-day digital operations.
Small and medium-sized enterprises
Develop existing employees, formalise helpdesk and support practices, close identified skills gaps and establish clear ownership of growing ICT responsibilities.
Medium-sized organisations
Strengthen dedicated ICT teams with structured capability in infrastructure, networks, cybersecurity, service operations and cross-department technical problem-solving.
Major employers and public organisations
Develop specialist and role-specific technical capability at scale through practical simulations, competency assessment and evidence-based workforce reporting.
Potential applications: healthcare and hospitals; banking, finance and insurance; construction and engineering; retail and e-commerce; hotels, hospitality and tourism; logistics and transportation; manufacturing and industrial operations; oil, gas and energy; education and universities; government and public services; and telecommunications and technology.
Employers help turn learning into capability.
In the proposed model, employers would shape occupational priorities, identify skills gaps, offer relevant workplace tasks, nominate supervisors or mentors and review progress. Structured training and simulations would prepare learners for application; supervised work, coaching and assessment would help establish whether they can perform effectively in context.
Discuss a workforce partnershipThree proposed delivery models
Different proposed routes. One planned quality approach.
The final commercial, contractual and regulatory structure would be confirmed with the relevant Saudi authorities and participating organisations before any programme is advertised as available or begins delivery.
01Public-sector partnership
Strategic skills pilot
Under a future pilot, a participating government or public-sector body could help define priority occupations, target groups and intended outcomes. Subject to written agreements and all applicable approvals, Crown Venture Company would coordinate programme design with appropriately licensed training providers and separately appointed assessment and employer participants.
- Evidence-based workforce priorities
- Joint governance and defined responsibilities
- Employer consortium and workplace opportunities
- Transparent performance and progression reporting
02Employer partnership
Employer-sponsored skills pathway
Under the proposed model, a participating employer could commission structured development for eligible new or existing employees, aligned to defined workplace responsibilities and agreed technical capabilities. Delivery would begin only after the programme, contracts, responsibilities and applicable approvals were confirmed.
- Role-to-standard and skills-gap analysis
- Protected learning linked to operational work
- Named workplace mentor and progress reviews
- Assessment readiness and skills-impact reporting
03Candidate development and employment
Transparent candidate pathway
Candidates may fund clearly priced training and career preparation. Any subsequent Crown Venture Company employment and host placement would operate under separate, compliant contracts and only where the required licences are in place.
- No fee charged for securing employment
- Employee wages paid in full under the employment contract
- Host service charges kept separate from wages
- Documented supervision, experience and progression
Commercial safeguard: Crown Venture Company does not currently present these proposed models as available regulated services. Training charges, employee wages and employer service fees would be documented separately. Employment, placement, training, recruitment or workforce-supply activity will proceed only under the licences, contracts, wage-protection arrangements and Saudi requirements that apply. No public funding or incentive is assumed.
Proposed learner journey
From selection to occupational competence.
BCS describes a UK IT apprenticeship as a paid job combining hands-on work with structured off-the-job training, followed by independent end-point assessment. Crown Venture Company is exploring how an approved Saudi programme could use comparable principles. The proposed model may also support employer workforce development that does not involve employment, placement or a formal apprenticeship structure.
- 1
Select
Confirm eligibility, motivation, starting capability and occupational pathway.
- 2
Employ and place
Agree the employment, host placement, supervision and workplace responsibilities.
- 3
Train and apply
The proposed approach may combine live teaching, guided online study, practical simulations, mentoring and relevant workplace activities where these are available and formally agreed.
- 4
Review readiness
Track knowledge, skills and behaviours and confirm evidence before assessment.
- 5
Assess and progress
Where a formally approved programme and written assessment arrangement exist, assessment would be conducted through the appropriately authorised organisation. Assessment, certification, employment and progression would not be guaranteed.
Outcomes and accountability
Measured by capability, progression and value.
Each pilot would begin with agreed baselines, targets and reporting intervals. Results would be shared transparently with programme partners.
Occupational competence
Achievement against the approved knowledge, skills and behaviour requirements, including first-attempt assessment outcomes.
Programme completion
Participation, continuation and successful completion across each employer, pathway and learner cohort.
Employment continuity
Where applicable, retention in meaningful work at agreed milestones following placement or programme completion.
Career progression
Direct employment, promotion, expanded responsibility or movement into a relevant digital role.
Employer value
Evidence of developing technical capability, supervisor or employer feedback and measurable contribution to the organisation’s identified ICT priorities.
Learner development
Growth in confidence, independence, professional behaviours and readiness for continued learning.
No performance results are presented at concept stage. Measures and targets will be confirmed for each formally agreed pilot.
Developing digital capability
Technology-enabled development across sectors and regions.
Crown Venture is developing a technology-enabled model intended to support employers across different industries and Saudi regions.
Reusable virtual labs
Proposed repeatable practice environments designed around defined technical capabilities and realistic workplace contexts.
Configurable scenarios
Proposed technical activities that could be adapted to employer roles, operational priorities and different levels of experience.
Remote development
Proposed remote learning and guided technical practice intended to support employers across Saudi regions.
Digital evidence
Planned collection of relevant technical evidence, subject to approved assessment, privacy and data-governance arrangements.
Capability reporting
Proposed evidence-based reporting to help employers understand skills development and identify further workforce priorities.
Development status
These capabilities remain under development and are not presented as accredited, approved or fully operational services.
Reference framework
Informed by established UK practice.
BCS and Skills England publish information relevant to digital occupations and apprenticeships in England. Crown Venture Company may consult this publicly available material when developing its proposed ICT workforce solutions. This reference does not create a partnership, endorsement, approved-centre relationship, qualification, certificate or recognition in Saudi Arabia. Any formal role for BCS or another awarding or assessment organisation would require a separate written agreement and all applicable Saudi approvals.
Programme clarity
Important questions, answered directly.
These answers distinguish the proposed Saudi model from formally approved UK apprenticeships and qualifications.
Is Crown Venture Company currently offering an approved BCS qualification in Saudi Arabia?
No. Crown Venture Company does not currently claim that BCS is a programme partner, awarding organisation, assessor or endorser. Any future BCS involvement, qualification, assessment or certification would require a written agreement defining BCS’s role and all applicable Saudi licences and approvals before enrolment, delivery or advertising.
Is Crown Venture Company currently authorised to deliver these programmes directly?
The company is currently developing the programme and its partnerships. Direct delivery will begin only after the relevant commercial activities, training licences, programme approvals and any other applicable Saudi authorisations are in place. Until then, development work remains at concept stage or subject to separately verified arrangements with appropriately licensed providers.
Is the proposed programme the same as an apprenticeship in England?
No. UK apprenticeship standards provide an established occupational reference. The Saudi programme structure, legal status, duration, recognition and employment arrangements would be agreed locally.
How would programme quality be controlled?
The proposed framework includes employer role-mapping, initial assessment, planned learning, workplace evidence, progress reviews, readiness checks and independent assessment where formally approved.
What would participating employers provide?
Employers would provide a relevant role or placement, suitable supervision, meaningful work, access to evidence and regular feedback on learner performance and organisational value.
Does Crown Venture currently provide outsourced or managed IT support?
No. Crown Venture’s current proposition concerns the development and assessment of employers’ own ICT capability. Managed or outsourced IT services are not currently offered through this website and would require a separate commercial, contractual and regulatory decision.
Our leadership
Experience across education, technology and enterprise.
Crown Venture Company is led by three founding partners who combine apprenticeship, quality assurance, business and technical experience.
CEO's mission
“My ambition is to help Saudi Arabia’s next generation develop the skills, confidence and character to build successful careers and contribute meaningfully to the Kingdom. Through Crown Venture Company, we will connect high-quality learning with real workplace opportunity, helping emerging talent become capable, adaptable and ready for the future. Our purpose goes beyond qualifications: we aim to develop people who can create value, lead responsibly and support Saudi Arabia’s continued progress.”
Chief Executive Officer & Founding Partner
Shahbaz Ahmed
Shahbaz is an accomplished apprenticeship and digital-skills leader with more than two decades of experience in technical education and workforce development. A Chartered IT Professional and Member of BCS, with an MSc in Information Security, he combines technical expertise with extensive leadership across programme delivery, curriculum development, assessment, independent end-point assessment and quality assurance.
He has worked with leading UK awarding and assessment organisations, including BCS, Pearson, NCFE and City & Guilds. His assessment and quality-assurance assignments have also involved personnel from the Royal College of Signals, Royal Air Force, Royal Navy and the Metropolitan Police’s forensic services, both in the United Kingdom and overseas. As CEO of Crown Venture Company, Shahbaz provides the strategic direction, sector credibility and commitment to quality required to build trusted, employer-aligned digital skills pathways for Saudi Arabia.
Director & Founding Partner
Syed Mazhar Ali
Mazhar brings nearly 25 years of management experience with Tesco, one of the United Kingdom’s largest retailers. His career has developed substantial expertise in operational leadership, workforce planning, team development, customer experience, commercial performance and the practical delivery of change within a fast-paced, highly accountable organisation.
At Crown Venture Company, Mazhar contributes experienced commercial and operational judgement to corporate governance, strategic planning, market engagement and partnership development. His understanding of service standards, customer behaviour and organisational performance helps ensure that the company’s programmes are credible, responsive to employer priorities and capable of being delivered effectively at scale.
Technology & Innovation Lead and Founding Partner
Ijaz Ahmed
Ijaz brings professional experience across artificial intelligence, digital infrastructure, computer networking and blockchain-based technologies, developed through roles with several organisations. His interests sit at the intersection of established IT systems and rapidly evolving digital capability.
At Crown Venture Company, he contributes to technology strategy, programme innovation and the responsible adoption of emerging technologies. His focus is on ensuring that digital learning remains practical, secure and relevant to the future needs of employers and the Saudi economy.
Partnership discussions
Help shape practical ICT workforce development for Saudi employers.
We welcome early discussions with employers of all sizes and industries, government and public bodies, education organisations, appropriately licensed training providers, assessment organisations and relevant sector stakeholders.
Crown Venture Company
Saudi Arabia
General enquiriesinfo@crownventureksa.com
CEO and strategic partnershipsshahbaz.ahmed@crownventureksa.com
Operationsmazhar.ali@crownventureksa.com
Technology and innovationijaz.ahmed@crownventureksa.com