28-06-2021

Under the patronage of His Excellency Mr. Jameel bin Mohammed Ali Humaidan, Minister of Labour and Social Development, the “Coronavirus Pandemic: Challenges and Opportunities” forum, organised by the Ministry via videoconferencing, was launched. This forum is part of a series of events the Ministry intends to implement as part of its efforts to advance the national workforce and develop its professional capabilities and skills. It features the participation of a number of human resources officials from private sector institutions, business owners, institutes, and training centres. It also aims to keep pace with the transformation of training paths from traditional methods to the use of technological tools that enhance distance learning. It will also explore ways to foster an institutional culture that supports the development of the training sector, discuss current challenges facing human resources officials in preparing employees, and address other objectives that serve the development of training within labour market establishments. In his opening remarks at the forum, Humaidan emphasised the importance of private sector training institutions keeping pace with technological developments in training methods and curricula. He noted the need to turn the COVID-19 pandemic’s effects on the training sector into opportunities for advancement and to ensure training sustainability under various circumstances, as this is the primary guarantee for supplying the labour market with qualified Bahraini cadres possessing the professional skills it needs. He called for leveraging technology in the training process, particularly given the accelerating reliance on modern technologies across diverse productive sectors. Humaidan praised the expertise and prominent figures participating in the forum, stressing that the Kingdom of Bahrain is moving forward with a clear vision for the professional future, in accordance with well-considered plans in the training sector. He noted that the pandemic has led to the development of many unconventional methods to maintain training continuity. In response, the Ministry of Labour and Social Development issued a circular to private training institutions, directing them to implement virtual and electronic training. Additionally, in cooperation with the Labour Fund (Tamkeen), the Ministry has trained over 4,000 job seekers, with ongoing efforts to meet a target of training 10,000 job seekers by year-end. Humaidan added that 19 memoranda of understanding have been signed to ensure the continued progress of training under these exceptional circumstances. During his participation, Mr. Nawaf Mohammed Al-Jishi, Chairman at Bahrain Society of Private Training Institutes, addressed the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic to the training sector, alongside the most significant solutions adopted to overcome them and guarantee the continuity of human resource training under these exceptional conditions. Mr. Ibrahim Ali Al-Tamimi, an institutional assessment expert, reviewed notable institutional practices related to qualifying and employing national cadres. Dr. Wajdi Abu Shabab, CEO of the Career Development and Business Excellence Company, spoke about the concept and significance of leading institutional innovation in the private sector. The participants strongly engaged with the speakers on the topics discussed, and their contributions significantly enriched the forum by introducing subjects of relevance to the current situation.