The Bahrain Training Society praises the government's strategy to upgrade the training system and qualify citizens for the labor market

13-03-2020

His Excellency Jameel bin Mohammed Ali Humaidan, Minister of Labour and Social Development, met with the Honorary President of the Bahrain Society for Training & Development (BSTD), Dr. Ebrahim Khalifa Al Dossary, the Chairman of the Society’s Board of Directors, Mr Ahmed Mahmoud Attia, and several Board members at his office at the Ministry. During the meeting, the efforts of the esteemed government to develop the training system, aimed at enhancing and advancing national human resources to achieve comprehensive, sustainable development in the country, were reviewed. The government, with its highly qualified and professionally skilled Bahraini citizens, is the pivotal foundation for driving the national economy. This includes the government's support for the vocational and professional training sector, enabling it to fulfil its role in aligning training outcomes with labour market needs. Additionally, various facilities are provided to private training centres and institutes, along with joint cooperation with civil society organisations and professional associations specialising in training. In this context, Attia commended the government's interest, headed by His Royal Highness Prince Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa, the Prime Minister, and His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince, Deputy Supreme Commander and First Deputy Prime Minister, may God protect them, in the training sector in the Kingdom of Bahrain and the provision of ongoing support to enable it to fulfil its complementary role in the labour market by primarily preparing qualified national cadres. He emphasised the importance of cooperation between various stakeholders in developing training and qualifying human resources capable of managing production flows across various sectors, thereby strengthening Bahrain's position as a regional centre for professional and vocational training. The President of the Society pointed out that prioritising training within the government's work programmes represents an additional gain for the training sector in the Kingdom of Bahrain, which is reflected practically in various projects to qualify and train job seekers. It represents a qualitative addition to ensuring the success of employment projects and the integration of the national human element into the labour market. He commended these initiatives, which make vocational training a fundamental component of development projects linked to the labour market. Attia added that, based on the Society's mandate to contribute to human development and make Bahrainis the preferred choice, in partnership with public and private sector institutions, the Society has given special attention to the issue of localising professions in its strategy. He highlighted the importance of enacting laws that encourage the private sector to train and develop its employees to occupy various positions. In this context, His Excellency the Minister of Labour and Social Development praised the role and contribution of the Bahrain Society for Training & Development (BSTD) in the success of national plans and programmes in the field of training and qualifying job seekers. He emphasised that training constitutes a fundamental focus of the programmes and projects of the Ministry of Labour and Social Development, as the Ministry seeks to align training and education outcomes with the professional skills required by employers, especially in light of the changes that have occurred in the quality of professions and their shift to non‑traditional jobs, in line with the developments and changes in technology and information systems in driving the economy. Humaidan affirmed the government's commitment to enhancing the training system to keep pace with new developments and align with the overall strategy, employment plans and programmes aimed at making Bahraini citizens the preferred choice for employment. Work is underway to achieve this goal through the creation of an ideal training infrastructure, in addition to providing numerous benefits and incentives for employers and job seekers to achieve the desired balance in the labour market.