Bahrain parliament's biggest bloc plans to double benefits for graduates seeking jobs under a new unemployment insurance scheme.

The Labour Ministry and General Organisation for Social Insurance (Gosi) have submitted the scheme to parliament, where unemployed Bahrainis and university graduates receive BD120 to BD500 a month for up to six months while they search for jobs.

School dropouts, graduates and people who lost their jobs or made redundant are set to benefit from it, if the BD15 million a year plan becomes law.

The Al Wefaq scheme states graduates looking for their first job could receive BD150 a month, while those with high school diplomas or less would get BD120.

However, Al Wefaq wants unemployed graduates struggling to find jobs to be paid up to BD300 a month until they find work.

MP Jawad Fairooz said Labour Minister Dr Majeed Al Alawi has told him that a report outlining details of amendments is to be submitted to the Cabinet shortly.

Al Wefaq has drawn up the plan in an attempt to help what it estimates to be 1,200 unemployed graduates.

It says some are unemployed for more than five years and wants everyone to be provided with a job matching their abilities and specialisation.

Fairooz said Dr Al Alawi and Education Minister Dr Majid Al Nuaimi seem keen to find a solution to the problem and he was confident that the amendments will be approved.

He called for a survey of vacancies in the public and private sector to identify the most common positions available.

The MP argued attempts should be made to match jobseekers with those posts, after they had completed interviews and written appraisals under the supervision of the Labour Ministry to ensure credibility and equality.

Fairooz said graduates who are not employable should be trained.

He said that giving jobseekers allowances would not make them complacent about finding work.

Fairooz said that the money would only be available for a limited period, although that part of the proposal has still to be decided.TradeArabia News Service