MLSD Minister: Organizing ten diverse employment fairs in 2019.. Employment fairs last year hired 2,652 Bahrainis in private sector establishments

10-02-2020

In light of the directives of His Royal Highness Prince Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa, the Prime Minister, may God protect him, issued during the Cabinet session last Monday, to continue efforts aimed at creating new, qualitative and value‑added job opportunities for citizens, and to intensify initiatives and projects that contribute to enhancing employment for job seekers, and his directives, may God protect him, on the necessity of holding periodic employment fairs, this followed a review by His Excellency the Minister of Labour and Social Development, Mr Jameel bin Mohammed Ali Humaidan, before the Cabinet last week of a series of employment fairs organised by the Ministry during 2018, which ranged between general employment fairs and specialised exhibitions, and the good results achieved in terms of employing national workers in private‑sector establishments. His Excellency the Minister of Labour and Social Development, Mr Jameel bin Mohammed Ali Humaidan, made a statement in which he discussed the most prominent projects and indicators achieved by these Job Fairs. The Ministry organised seven Job Fairs in 2018, in which 288 establishments participated. The number of vacancies offered by the establishments, along with the Ministry’s vacancy bank, amounted to 6,299. The number of Bahraini employees attending the Job Fairs totalled 2,652 job seekers of both genders. Training opportunities were also provided for job seekers in coordination with the Labour Fund (Tamkeen), through the presentation of 500 training programmes aimed at qualifying citizen job seekers in line with the needs of employers for national competencies. He indicated that more than 6,239 job seekers benefited from the programmes and training courses offered during 2018. His Excellency the Minister revealed the details of the results of the seven Job Fairs, explaining that between 11 and 12 January 2018, a Job Fair in the engineering sector for women was held in co‑operation with the Supreme Council for Women, with the participation of 30 establishments. During the Job Fair, 266 female engineering job seekers were employed, in addition to employing others in technical positions related to engineering fields. He emphasised the Ministry’s interest in allocating several specialised Job Fairs for women, as part of enhancing the integration of Bahraini women into various specialised and productive sectors. In April 2018, a specialised Job Fair was organised in the education sector, with the participation of 40 establishments. This Job Fair resulted in the employment of 434 job seekers of both genders in various educational sectors, including schools, institutes, academies, and private universities in the Kingdom of Bahrain during the fair period. In this context, the Ministry cooperated with the Ministry of Education and the private education sector to integrate citizens into administrative, technical, and educational positions in these institutions. On 18 April 2018, the Ministry, in co‑operation with Lulu Hypermarket, organised a Job Fair in the retail sector, with the participation of 47 establishments. The Ministry was able to employ 590 Bahrainis of both genders at this Job Fair in retail and administrative positions in the commercial sector, which reflected the extent of positive co‑operation between the Ministry of Labour and Social Development and private‑sector establishments, within the framework of strengthening community partnership towards increasing employment and integration of national workers into the labour market, and within the framework of diversifying the targeted sectors for employment. The second Job Fair was organised in the private health sector between 4 and 5 July 2018, with the participation of 41 establishments. During this Job Fair, 346 Bahrainis of both genders were employed in institutions during the fair period, whether in specialised positions for doctors or other medical and technical support positions, in co‑operation with the Ministry of Health. On 1–2 August 2018, the Ministry held a general Job Fair with the participation of 65 establishments. This resulted in the employment of 686 citizens seeking employment during the fair. The Ministry also held a Job Fair in the hospitality, tourism, and services sector between 4 and 5 October last year, with the participation of 35 establishments. The Job Fair resulted in the employment of 293 Bahrainis of both genders in various positions required by the hospitality, tourism, and services sectors, with the participation of the Economic Development Board (EDB). As part of the Ministry of Labour and Social Development’s focus on employing Persons with Disabilities (People of Determination) in various productive sectors, the Ministry dedicated a Job Fair for Persons with Disabilities on 11–12 October 2018, with the participation of 34 establishments. 37 citizens of both genders were employed during the Job Fair. In this context, Humaidan pointed out that the success of Job Fairs in increasing the number of jobs offered, improving their quality and the specified wages over the past years, came thanks to the ongoing co‑operation between the Ministry and various economic and commercial sectors, which led to the strengthening of employment activity in the private sector. He noted that the recruitment process for the jobs offered at these Job Fairs did not stop after their holding periods, but rather continued to meet the needs of exhibitors according to the usual recruitment procedures. He called on all productive sectors in the Kingdom to intensify co‑operation with the Ministry to implement initiatives aimed at integrating citizens into the private sector, stressing at the same time that the national element has proven its efficiency in various productive sectors. His Excellency the Minister affirmed that, in light of the directives of His Highness the Prime Minister, may God protect him, and the interest and follow‑up of His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince and First Deputy Prime Minister, may God protect him, during the last regular session, the Ministry of Labour and Social Development will intensify its initiatives and projects that contribute to raising employment rates in the private‑sector, in co‑operation with employers by providing the qualified Bahraini workforce that employers need. It will also launch several initiatives to ensure the success of plans and enhance employment mechanisms, including holding general and specialised Job Fairs during the current year 2019, which will contribute to keeping unemployment rates within safe limits. In this context, Humaidan announced the preparation of an integrated plan to hold 10 Job Fairs during the year, pointing out that the Job Fairs held by the Ministry during the past year were evaluated, and the positive aspects were monitored, as the Ministry will work to develop these Job Fairs to achieve their goals in line with the rapid changes in the labour market, which is witnessing growth and attracting investments, which generates many qualitative jobs for citizens in the private‑sector, stressing the importance of optimal investment in Bahraini human resources, pointing out that Job Fairs are a suitable opportunity for employers to obtain what they need from national cadres, as well as for job seekers to choose the job opportunities that suit them, through direct meetings with representatives of the establishments participating in these Job Fairs. His Excellency the Minister of Labour and Social Development, noted that the first Job Fair of the year will be held in February, designated for women seeking part‑time employment. He emphasised that this Job Fair will particularly benefit housewives, as it will showcase job vacancies for short hours that suit women's social circumstances. His Excellency the Minister of Labour and Social Development, Mr Jameel bin Mohammed Ali Humaidan, concluded his statement by emphasising that the plan to organise Job Fairs throughout 2019 includes specialised Job Fairs, namely: a Job Fair for the industrial and engineering sectors, another for the education sector, a Job Fair for the financial, accounting, and medical sectors, in addition to a Job Fair for the hotel, tourism, and services sectors, as well as other Job Fairs for the retail sector.