Labour Fund Tamkeen has joined hands with Fives Group, a global industrial engineering group, and Bahrain Polytechnic to launch an ambitious educational initiative aimed at increasing the number of Bahraini workforce in the industrial sector.

The initiative aims to reinforce the employability of Bahrainis by bridging existing skill gaps, in-line with the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 requirements.

Fives is a global industrial engineering group active in many industrial sectors (aluminium, cement, energy, aerospace, etc). The company was roped in for the non-profit initiative, as part of its Corporate Citizenship Program.

As per the deal, Fives Group will provide internship opportunities within the worldwide network of its companies and will partner with Bahrain Polytechnic, a public tertiary education institute, to foster a culture of custom-made vocational training programmes.

Tamkeen CEO Dr Ebrahim Mohammed Janahi said there was a need to organise more specialised training partnerships to enhance the Bahraini individuals’ skills in various sectors in line with one of its main objectives in making the Bahraini individual employee of choice.

“Tamkeen has gone a long way in developing Bahrainis in line with the labour market needs, especially in the vital sectors, including the industrial sector,” stated Dr Janahi.

Present at the meeting were a number of Tamkeen’s executives, partners and stakeholders to discuss key steps and best practices towards the successful implementation of the agreement, it added.

Frédéric Sanchez, chairman of executive board, Fives Group, said: “Fives has a longstanding commitment to Bahrain where we have been established since 2003.”

“As a corporate citizen, we are proud to contribute to the communities in which we operate. This initiative is one of the ways in which the Group supports the sustainability of the industry in Bahrain,” he said.

“The partnership between public and private entities that we have created with this initiative is really a model for the future,” he added.

The training programmes will be implemented and delivered by Bahrain Polytechnic, which was established by Bahraini Government to deliver applied learning, technical education, skills-based and occupational trainings.

Dr Jeff Zabudsky, chief executive officer of Bahrain Polytechnic, said: “This agreement between us and Fives Group perfectly matches the objective of our institute, which is to support the country’s economic growth and diversification.” – TradeArabia News Service