Bahraini youth having trouble getting jobs

TDT | Manama                 

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com 

Staff Repoter

Many Bahraini youth are having trouble finding jobs, including fresh graduates with university degrees. Not our opinion, but according to statistics.

It states a 1.92% rise in unemployed Bahraini youth aged between 15 and 24 years from 2020 to 2021. So, what could be the reason? To find out, The Daily Tribune talk to people around.

While terming unemployment as a “complex topic”, residents said there are many reasons. However, the foremost is “Bahrain is a small market, which means there are fewer companies and they hire fewer people.”

“Besides, Bahrainis with University degrees are coming out without actionable skills that employers desire.

“Employers here value skills and experience that many graduates do not have. “It took me a year to find my first full-time job, even with a degree in computer engineering.

Luckily, I am now a software engineer in a bank here.

“If I could give any advice, it would be to start actively learning an actionable skill and specialise in a field such as programming, project management web development, mobile development, and network infrastructure.

“Lastly, it is useful to develop and create a project of your own, no matter how small it is.”

According to the Higher Education Council, Accounting graduates are much sought after by different business industries, both in the public and private sectors.

An accounting degree will also lead to achieving further professional qualifications sought by large corporations.

Another Bahraini resident said: “I graduated with a BSc in Medical Laboratory Sciences, and I had difficulty finding work here in Bahrain. “Most wanted someone who had at least two years of experience.

“I applied to many jobs and even had an interview; however, they did not get back to me.

“This is a shared experience among Bahrainis trying to find work here.” But things are changing. Bahrain, over the years, made various efforts to curb unemployment.

The establishment of trade unions, the Labour Market Regulatory Authority (LMRA), and the labour fund, ‘Tamkeen’ has contributed to reducing the unemployment rate in the Kingdom.

According to Tamkeen, it is designed to encourage new Bahraini talents to kick off a career path in the private sector.

Tamkeen programmes allow businesses financial support to take on new local talents as partners in their development journey.