MANAMA — The owners and directors of Bahraini training institutes emphasized that the stability of the training sector in Bahrain is almost completely linked to the stability of government support for training and qualifying Bahrainis to empower them to remain the first choice in the labor market within the framework of Bahrain Vision 2030.

A meeting held by the Bahrain Society of the Private Training Institutes (BSPTI), with the participation of more than 40 owners and directors of training institutes, concluded with many recommendations, including the need to re-support training as soon as possible, the integration between training institutes instead of competition, and cooperation in developing training courses that meet the needs of the current and future labor market, in addition to expanding the fields of virtual training, and attracting the most skilled trainers.

The owners of training institutes stressed the importance of opening direct cooperation channels with private sector institutions and corporates to provide specialized and specific training for their cadres according to their training needs, and to provide guidance and assistance to them in the field of labor skills tests in order to achieve the maximum possible use of their skills in the labor market and to urge institutions to recognize the skills and experience acquired by the workforce and reward the talented.

During the meeting, the readiness of the institutes to resume training scheduled for the third of next September were reviewed, and new challenges and opportunities under the current circumstances were discussed, especially since the training institutes face enormous difficulties due to the disruption of their work due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and they suffered substantial operating expenses, but they also insist on staying in the market and maintain its Bahraini employees.

The meeting also discussed the development of a mechanism for providing citizens' training qualifications to allow them to engage in the work environment smoothly, as well as providing the possibility of transition between the various professional tracks related to the qualification, and managing to urge individuals to develop their professional knowledge and skills.

Nawaf Mohammed Al Jishi, chairman of BSPTI, said that the Society initiated this meeting within the framework of the role entrusted to it as an official umbrella for all private training institutes in Bahrain, intending to strengthen the partnership between training institutes to reach a collective vision that outlines the next phase amid the fundamental changes brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic to the training sector.

“The success of the training sector in Bahrain requires the contribution and cooperation of diverse sectors to guarantee that the outputs of technical and vocational training are in line with the needs of the labor market and the conditions of the working environment, as well as with the ambitious visions of Bahrain, in addition to increasing the contributions of all parties involved in training and qualifying national workers capable of achieving the most significant levels of efficiency and productivity,” Al Jishi said.

Al Jishi stressed that the present and future of Bahrain depends hugely on developing high-skilled national human cadres, and constantly re-arranging priorities to develop the skills of its children to accommodate the developments and changes in the world of technology. “Training institutes are the executive arm of the government in the field of training and advancement of national cadres and boosting the percentage of Bahrainisation.

“We have taken upon ourselves the task of supporting national efforts under the directives of our wise leadership to advance the training sector in Bahrain, enhance its competitiveness, and work by international standards, so that Bahrain can take the place it deserves in the International indicators that measure the progress of the training sector,” he said.