Focus on job market

Cairo : Bahrain’s efforts to hone the skills of national jobseekers and integrate them into the private sector were highlighted at 45th Arab Labour Conference being held in Cairo.

“A string of national schemes were launched to support private sector workers as part of efforts to employ young jobseekers”, said Labour and Social Development Minister Jameel Humaidan. 

He made the statement as he was addressing the 45th Arab Labour Conference, held under the patronage of Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi. 

Heads of employers’ organizations and representatives of trade unions in the Arab countries are attending the conference which opened on Sunday and will run until April 15. 

The minister underlined the strenuous efforts being exerted by the Government of Bahrain to train new employees and enhance their skills and productivity. He outlined financial packages and incentives which are granted to young entrepreneurs to set up their own businesses, as part of efforts to promote employment. 

Humaidan stressed the viability of the initiatives and programmes which were launched by the Government of Bahrain, which helped maintain the rate of unemployment at 4 per cent over the past years. 

The Minister also underlined the current challenges facing the Arab labour markets as a result of economic shifts, volatile oil prices and fast technological strides, stressing the need to rely more on the private sector as a purveyor of jobs.