The National Institute for Industrial Training (NIIT) is working towards finalising the second batch of female trainees as part of a unique training and employment programme, it was announced yesterday (April 14).

Called 'Employment and Training Programme for Females in the Auto Services' - the first-of-a-kind programme seeks to train women and recruit them in three automotive-related services, said a report in the Gulf Daily News (GDN), our sister publication.

They are car sales executives, automotive parts sales executives and service advisers in the automotive services sections.

NIIT has signed four memorandums of understanding (MoUs) with key international automotive agents in Bahrain, three of them to train and recruit females as part of the scheme.

The agreements were signed with Y K Almoayyed and Sons, EK Kanoo Group and Al Zayani Investments.

The institute also signed an MoU with Motor City to train and recruit males as part of the developed version of the previous scheme 'Engineering Multi-Skills Programme'.

This adds to the success of the previous scheme under which NIIT trained and helped recruiting around 400 Bahrainis through the original version of this programme and other similar ones.

“Prior to starting this training programme, NIIT conducted a survey for 230 women to identify the willingness amongst females to work in the industrial sector in general,” NIIT manager of business development and projects Ali Al Noory said.

“We found out that 65 per cent of them had interest to work in jobs that combine technical knowledge with the customer services skills in the automotive sector, while 32 per cent were interested to work in the industrial sector other than automotive, and 3pc did not like to work in any industry-related sector,” he added.

NIIT assistant director Dr Abdulla Mohammed said the institute has an ambitious plan to develop this scheme, especially that it is unique not only in Bahrain but in the whole GCC region.

“We want to develop it to cover other skills in the industrial sector other than automotive like the telecommunication and engineering.

“NIIT is in constant contact with the concerned authorities to secure the required support to this plan, fuelled by the fact that not only females want to work in this field but also companies are interested in this scheme and are approaching us to request female trainees.

“If we get the right support to this programme, the impact of this programme will help in reducing unemployment amongst females,” he added. - TradeArabia News Service