Maaden Aluminium, the Maaden Alcoa joint venture, yesterday announced it signed an agreement with Buraydah Technical College to design and implement a comprehensive English language course for high school students from communities near its bauxite mine at Al-Baitha in Qassim region. Abdulaziz Al-Harbi, president of Maaden Aluminium, and Mansour Al-Rossini, dean of Buraydah Technical College, signed the deal. The four-month course, which is set to begin on Sept. 1, aims at improving the English language proficiency of the high school students, better preparing them for admission to colleges and universities, and increasing their employment opportunities in both the government and private sectors. \"Constructively working with local communities around our mines and operations is at the heart of our joint venture\'s commitment to building sustainable operations. We\'re confident that this course will be effective in creating new opportunities for these young students so that they can embark on successful careers,\" said Al-Harbi. As a parent company of the joint venture, Maaden itself is engaged within Saudi Arabia in a number of strategic partnerships focused on improving the wellbeing of people in communities near its mining and production activities. The company actively supports sustainable development programs that benefit local communities particularly in the remote areas of the Kingdom. From arabnews