Work underway for launch of ‘Skills Bahrain’ Initiative

TDT | Manama

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com

The Labour Fund “Tamkeen” announced that work is underway to launch the “Skills Bahrain” Initiative based on the direction of the Supreme Council for the Development of Education and Training chaired by the Deputy Prime Minister, His Highness Shaikh Mohammed bin Mubarak Al Khalifa, who discussed the project’s progress to date during the last meeting.

The initiative is currently being implemented by the Tamkeen in collaboration with several relevant government and private sector entities involved in education, training, and professional labour market requirements.

“Skills Bahrain” is the first comprehensive national initiative aimed at establishing professional standards for vocations and professions in Bahrain, and meets the rising demand for qualified nationals across a range of different sectors.

“Skills Bahrain” aims to provide the resources and tools needed to support career guidance towards the professions and skills required by the labour market, thus facilitating a smooth transition from education to employment”, he said.

Tamkeen’s Chief Executive, Husain Mohamed Rajab, praised the initiative and highlighted its significance in promoting the value of professional and vocational skills for the development of the national economy and the high-potential sectors.

“The Skills Bahrain team is in the process of building a clear skills framework for the various levels of expertise required in Bahrain’s labour market. The initiative began its work to assess the needs of several high-potential sectors in alignment with the national economic recovery plan, with the aim of providing updated and comprehensive labour market and job data,” he pointed out.

He added that work has already begun in the financial services and telecommunications sectors, as they are considered among the most significant contributors to the labour market. These will be complimented by the addition of new sectors in the future, including a wide range of industries each with its own required skills, and assessment models.

Mohamed Ahmadi, Director of Skills Bahrain’ said that the initiative can be described as a “Skills Accelerator”, especially for high-potential sectors, as it explores current and future skill requirements based on the continuous analysis of labour market data and information.

It also supports developing the learning and teaching environment, as well as preparing skilled and globally competitive Bahraini talent. He stated that the “Skills Bahrain” initiative began last August, where it started with building relationships with business owners and relevant government institutions by creating committees for each sector to determine the requirements of the labour market.

“The work of these committees is based on recognising the needs of private sector business owners in terms of skills and career pathways, the measures needed to develop their sectors, and the development of Bahraini talent to drive innovation and improve productivity. it will also contribute to the provision of skilled graduates into the labour market from the education system as it will bring a closer alignment of employers’ skill requirements to programs offered by education providers”.