Comment of the Ministry of Labor and Social Development on the news: More than 800 unemployed engineering and computer graduates

10-10-2019

Clarification on engineering and ICT graduate unemployment figures Commenting on a local‑press article titled “More than 800 unemployed engineering and computer science graduates,” attributed to His Excellency Ibrahim Al‑Nufaie, Member of the Council of Representatives and Chairman of the Parliamentary Inquiry Committee on the Bahrainisation of jobs in the public and private sectors, the Ministry of Labour and Social Development confirms that the matter was presented outside the context of remarks made by His Excellency the Minister of Labour and Social Development, Mr Jameel bin Mohammed Ali Humaidan, at a post–Government Forum press conference. The question addressed to Humaidan was: Which current and future specialisations offer jobs in the labour market, and which university majors should youth consider given private‑sector demand? In response, he explained that engineering across its disciplines—alongside technology, information systems and digital commerce—is currently in demand and expected to remain so. Key facts provided by the Ministry • Engineers do not constitute 25% of unemployed job seekers. The share of unemployed engineering graduates is about 7% of total registered job seekers. • The average duration of unemployment for engineering degree holders is no more than six months from the date of registration with the Ministry. • There are about 700 engineering job seekers who are new graduates and have only recently entered the labour market; a small subset face integration challenges—most of them women—primarily due to private sector working hours. • Given major national projects underway and planned—in construction and infrastructure, engineering and the information and communications sector—demand for these specialisations is rising. This dynamic is nevertheless subject to normal labour market flows of entry and exit and does not imply immediate job placement for every graduate. • In recent years, the Ministry has placed the majority of registered engineering and information systems graduates, over 6,000 job seekers, into suitable roles. The Ministry also clarifies that, while it provides vocational guidance and counselling to help young people choose labour‑market‑relevant majors, it does not control the educational output of private colleges and institutes, nor can it compel students to select particular fields. To bridge any skills gaps, the Ministry enrols graduates of these majors in targeted training courses to equip them with competencies required by private‑sector employers, thereby facilitating faster integration into employment.