Bahrain Polytechnic recently signed an agreement to endorse the International Computer Driving Licence (ICDL) digital literacy programme, in line with its strategy to enhance the IT skills of its vocational students.

The move is also aimed at further developing the skills of Bahrain’s domestic labour force, which makes up 49 per cent of the country’s total workforce.

Under the terms of the agreement, the ICDL GCC Foundation, governing body and certification authority of the ICDL programme in the Gulf region, will accredit Bahrain Polytechnic as an ICDL training and testing centre.

The Polytechnic recently hosted a three day certified training professional (CTP) training session which was delivered by an ICDL training expert and was attended by candidates from various education institutes.

The ICDL GCC Foundation has mandated the CTP programme in its network of over 1000 training centres as part of its effort to promote best practices and to enhance the quality of ICDL training programmes across the Gulf region.

The CTP programme is a non-end user certification designed specifically for ICDL trainers. The programme rightly complements the Polytechnic’s commitment of providing Bahrainis with academic knowledge and practical skills which they can use to contribute to and benefit from Bahrain’s rapid economic growth.

“IT competency has become an important criterion for all industries throughout the regional and global job market,” said Jan Holden, acting head of business, ICT and engineering faculty at Bahrain Polytechnic.

“The global stature of the ICDL programme makes it a superior source of world-class computer, internet and general IT skills. Our partnership with ICDL-GCC will enable us to graduate highly skilled and competitive local workers who meet the job market needs and will be regarded as national assets,” he added.

Jamil Ezzo, director general, ICDL-GCC Foundation, said: “If the governments of the GCC countries wish to succeed in their bid to build their national capability and transform their respective countries into digital societies of which I am certain, then they need to focus on educational platforms that emphasize on technology for the youth.”

“We are pleased to form this partnership with Bahrain Polytechnic as part of our continuous efforts to spread digital literacy in Bahrain and reach as many individuals as possible,” Ezzo concluded. – TradeArabia News Service