Bahrain-based Arab Shipbuilding and Repair Yard (Asry) plans to establish an academy focusing on the ship building and repair industry, said a senior official.

The company has also concluded partnerships with foreign companies to consolidate Bahrain's leading role in this field, remarked Asry chief executive Chris Potter.

The Bahrain-based company presently runs a $3.2 million training programme that is aimed at imparting knowledge to  Bahrainis in electrical and technical disciplines through workshops, with a view of absorbing them as full-time employees at Asry.

Asry's target in the initial stage is to train 50 Bahraini industrial institution and school graduates in collaboration with the National Institute for Industrial Training and Tamkeen, who will contribute to funding the project, which will cost $3.8 million over five years.

The students will receive a stipend and will be employed in the company in stages during the three years.

"Asry has accepted a batch of 29 students this year. Launched in January with an initial batch of 21 students, the programme has undergone continuous evaluation," he added.-TradeArabia News Service