Social media activity has grown by 20 per cent in Bahrain last year, prompting the government to join forces with the Social Media Club and labour fund Tamkeen to train job-seekers for professions in the sector, a report said.

Starting next month, students will be able to take specialised courses to become certified social media managers and digital marketers, reported the Gulf Daily News, our sister publication.

"There are more than 260,000 Twitter users, 514,000 users on Facebook, 120,000 Instagram users and 160,000 LinkedIn users in Bahrain. This reflects an increase in users - of 14 per cent in Facebook, 20 per cent in Twitter and 50 per cent in Instagram since last year," said Minister of State for Communication Affairs Shaikh Fawaz bin Mohammed Al Khalifa.

"Government entities and the private sector cannot overlook the significance of social media in the communications sector and we aim for awards to encourage and promote responsible social media use."

An awards scheme is also being introduced to encourage and promote people who use social media responsibly.

They will be given out during a Social Media Masters Forum at the Ritz-Carlton Bahrain Hotel and Spa on December 11.

The details were revealed during a Press conference at the hotel yesterday (November 12).

Social Media Club president Ali Sabkar said universities and schools do not teach social media skills, which now has far more potential job opportunities than was initially thought.

"The field of social media in Bahrain is growing and will benefit three things; education, entrepreneurship, and jobs," he said.

"We were planning to announce it at the forum but we are working with Tamkeen to provide training and certification for two new fields related to social media and it will be launched on December 15."

Nominees will be chosen by a public vote and will be available in three categories - government and corporate entities, communities and another for individuals. Voting will get underway on Sunday and will conclude in two weeks. – TradeArabia News Service