Employers will soon be able to tap into a readymade talent pool of Bahraini graduates.

A national database will be created by the end of next month and more than 600 jobseekers have already signed up to be included, said a report in the Gulf Daily News (GDN), our sister publication.

It is called Al Nukhba (The Elite) Programme 2015 and is billed as the first initiative of its kind in the Middle East.

Companies seeking new recruits can pay to access to the database, which is a joint venture by Bahrain-based companies Inovent and Hire Stream.

The initiative is going ahead under the patronage of Capital Governor Shaikh Hisham bin Abdulrahman Al Khalifa and was first launched at Ahlia University in January.

“The programme aims to create solutions to streamline the hiring of new Bahraini graduates and to train them on market requirements,” Hire Stream regional manager Jennifer Yakub told the GDN.

“Currently we have around 600 graduates who have signed up for registration who will undergo a complete assessment and, thus far, 350 graduates have completed their assessment, while the online registration is open until April 15.

“Every year around 4,000 graduates are added to the labour market and Bahrain needs a mechanism to assess these freshmen and have a pool for employers to choose from.

“While most of the countries in the world have some form of ranking based on the assessment of their graduates, there is no such system in place in the Middle East - and hence this initiative.

“Such a system is a must, as otherwise it would be an unethical and informal way of selecting people for jobs from a vast and open market.

“The existing database at the Labour Ministry does not differentiate between fresh and experienced jobseekers, hence this is a new venture in Bahrain.”

The Al Nukhba team is currently conducting roads shows in various universities across Bahrain to raise awareness.

“This will be an ongoing process and, after the initial two to three years of hand-holding service from our end, we hope to have this programme incorporated into universities' curriculum and they could continue with it,” said Yakub.

“After successful completion of the registration and assessment, selected top performing students will be offered special placement support by the team and will receive training by Batelco and Tamkeen.

“All who have registered will also get a feedback form after assessment, which will help them understand their position in the labour market.

Subscription

“Employers will have to subscribe to access the database and get access to CVs of graduates, the assessment and a video interview, while the universities and students can register online, free of cost.”

Yakub said companies would foot the bill for the service, but ultimately stood to benefit.

“The employer has to pay because our assessment of the graduates is done by the Australian assessment providers Talegent, a leader in next-generation technology and tools for hiring in the digital age.” - TradeArabia News Service