Jobs strategy bearing fruit
More than 26,000 jobseekers and 12,000 youngsters were recruited last year under the second edition of the National Employment Programme, a top minister has revealed.
Bahrain will continue its relentless efforts to address challenges by re-engineering training infrastructure and manpower development in addition to tackling any deficiency affecting the integration of qualified Bahraini youth in the local market, said Labour and Social Development Minister Jameel Humaidan.
In an exclusive interview with our sister paper Akhbar Al Khaleej, he said the kingdom’s strategy to create suitable job opportunities for citizens is primarily based on attracting foreign investments.
“This requires an open labour market that keeps abreast of global changes along with an attractive business legislation and regulations,” he said.
Business owners bear work permit fees used in supporting national economy and empowering the youth in the labour market, with nearly BD130 million of such fees being transferred to the Labour Fund “Tamkeen” on a yearly basis, which, in turn, has contributed to development and qualification of citizens to remain the top priority for jobs, Mr Humaidan pointed out.
“Tamkeen has, over the past 10 years, pumped more than BD1 billion in the labour market to empower Bahrainis and improve their living conditions and income.
“Bahraini women make up about 76 per cent of the total number of jobseekers, while foreign women represent only 8pc of the total expatriate labour force in the private sector. University graduates constitute about 50pc of the total jobseekers,” he added.
The number of unemployed people has not been stagnant for years as claimed in the media, as 12,000 to 15,000 new unemployed graduates are registered annually, he noted, stressing that unemployment rates in Bahrain during the last decade were within safe limits.
Concerning employment in government companies, the minister said government companies are co-operating with the ministry and are committed to the Bahrainisation rates and exceeding the prescribed percentage, according to the January 2022 data. They employed 772 Bahrainis last year, and no cases of dismissal or layoffs were reported.
Bahrainisation rates have also increased in various government companies, such as Gulf Air where it increased from 59pc in 2019 to 72pc in January 2022. In Bahrain Airport Company, it rose from 80pc to 92pc during the same period as well as in Tatweer Petroleum where it increased from 83pc to 87.2pc.
Source: https://www.gdnonline.com/Details/1021195/Jobs-strategy-bearing-fruit
