Bahrain to Implement Mandatory Skill Assessment for 25 Trades

TDT | Manama 

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com

The Ministry of Labour, in collaboration with Tamkeen, the Labour Market Regulatory Authority (LMRA), and the Bahrain Chamber of Commerce and Industry, is set to introduce a new regulation requiring mandatory skill assessments for 25 trades. This initiative aims to enhance the quality of services and products offered in the market, reduce skill gaps, and create more job opportunities for Bahrainis, revealed the Minister of Labour Jameel Humaidan in a response to a parliamentary inquiry submitted by MP Ahmed Al Saloom.

As per the Minister, the new regulation will require all individuals seeking to practise any of the 25 designated trades to obtain a licence after passing a skill assessment exam. Failure to pass the exam will result in the withdrawal of work permits for foreign workers. The Ministry will also issue licences to private centres, institutes, and universities to conduct skill assessments for these trades.

The 25 trades included in the regulation are: welder (all branches), insulation material installer (all branches), occupational health and safety officer (all branches), tile installer (all branches), construction water removal (all branches), carpenter (all branches), automotive mechanic (all branches), heavy machinery mechanic (all branches), heavy equipment maintenance mechanic (all branches), asphalt paving (all branches), steel casting (all branches), rock drilling and blasting (all branches), grinder (all branches), steel work (all branches), scaffolding installer (all branches), aluminium door manufacturer (all branches), operator of road and construction equipment (all branches), operator of industrial equipment (all branches), operator of factory equipment (all branches), painter (all branches), operator of precision and control devices (all branches), and pipe and sanitary installation installer (all branches).

The regulation will not apply to electricians, plumbers, and air conditioning technicians, as these professions are regulated by other government entities.

"The Ministry of Labour, in coordination with Tamkeen and relevant businesses, has updated the professional standards for the 25 trades by defining job descriptions, career paths, and relevant sectors. The key tasks, technical skills, and required behaviour and training standards for each trade have also been established," the Minister stated.

The Ministry will be responsible for issuing professional licences to individuals who successfully pass the skill assessment exam. The assessments will be conducted by government and private entities that meet international standards set by the Ministry in collaboration with Tamkeen. Licences will also be granted to institutions wishing to conduct skill assessments, as well as to assessors who will work for these institutions.

The professional licences will be linked to work permits for both registered expatriate workers and employees of businesses. This will be achieved by integrating the Ministry's electronic licensing system with the Labour Market Regulatory Authority's work permit system. Work permits will be automatically suspended for workers who fail to pass the required skill assessment exam.

Private centres with commercial registration for skill assessment activities, private training institutes conducting skill assessments alongside training programmes, and existing training institutes and universities will be authorised to conduct skill assessments for specific trades. The Ministry has held discussions with several private institutions, and many have expressed their willingness to participate in this initiative.