The Labour Fund “Tamkeen” signed a partnership agreement with “Fives Group” to provide specialized training opportunities for tens of Bahrainis in the manufacturing sector. This comes as part of the “Global Ready Talent” Program which aims to provide Bahrainis with the necessary exposure through international work experience in leading global companies, thus enriching their knowledge and accelerating their career development.
This initiative aims to equip Bahrainis in the manufacturing and engineering sectors with the new and emerging skills required in the labor market, in line with the needs of these sectors, helping to create high-value job opportunities in line with the national priorities of the government program and the Economic Recovery Plan. This will be achieved by providing on-the-job training opportunities for engineering graduates to develop their practical skills, increasing their competitiveness in the labor market.
Tamkeen’s partnership with Fives, a global industrial engineering group that operates in many industrial sectors (aluminum, cement, energy, aerospace, etc.), will support 14 fresh graduates in engineering within the fields of mechanical, industrial, and technical engineering to receive on the job training for 6-12 months at the company’s international headquarters in Italy, France, and Switzerland.
Notably, the manufacturing sector contributed approximately 14.1% to Bahrain’s real GDP in 2021, making it the second largest non-oil sector following financial services. The sector is also the third largest employer in the labor market, employing 11% of the total workforce in the private sector with a Bahrainization rate of 24%.
On this occasion, Ms. Maha Mofeez, Chief Executive of the Labour Fund “Tamkeen” commented on the importance of establishing partnerships that offer specialized training to hone the skills of Bahrainis in various fields, stating: “In line with our current strategy, we will continue to support training opportunities across different sectors, especially in key economic sectors like manufacturing, which have a positive impact on the national economy and provide high-value sustainable jobs for local talent.” She added, “This initiative builds on the success of our previous partnership with Fives Group, which is part of our continuous efforts to enrich the ecosystem and refine the skills of national talent according to changing market needs so that we can increase their competitiveness locally and internationally.”
In addition, Hussain Al Madeh, Vice President of Sales and Strategy at Fives Group added “We appreciate the role of the Labour Fund “Tamkeen” in facilitating the growth of the ecosystem and providing an opportunity for Bahrainis to benefit from international experiences. Since our inception in 2003, we have worked with industry professionals and experts to train Bahrainis according to international standards so that we can improve the performance of this sector and provide practical experience for those enrolled in the training program. The training will be held in partnership with Bahrain Polytechnic which specializes in providing technical and vocational training solutions in various industrial fields.”
Last year, Tamkeen announced the first cohort to benefit from the “Global Ready Talent” program, in which over 20 Bahrainis were placed at the headquarters of multiple international companies around the world, including Fives Group, Arla Foods, Citi, Seapeak and Prodrive International, where they were able to develop their skills and progress within their careers.
This initiative is in line with the strategic objectives for the year which focus on four key priorities: facilitating the increased economic participation of Bahrainis, providing training that is aligned with the labor market needs in new and emerging skills, as well as enterprise and ecosystem development, all of which drive positive economic impact and sustainable growth.