Bahrain eGovernment Authority (eGA) has joined hands with the Kingdom's labour fund Tamkeen to launch a custom-designed graduate programme for Bahrainis in e-Content field.

The program is aimed at bridging the electronic divide, and translate communications into e-Content.

This initiative comes shortly after the Civil Service Bureau (CSB) announcement for posting the eContent Administrative position in the ministries and governmental entities, in accordance with Supreme Committee for Information and Communication Technology, headed by His Highness Shaikh Mohammed bin Mubarak Al Khalifa, Deputy Prime Minister.

The move is part of the Kingdom's plan to establish the eContent Administrative position, aiming at raising the level of econtent in terms of the quality, the quantity and the accuracy of the information provided, in accordance with the United Nations and the international standards in the eContent field.

This is a certificate-based qualification which will be delivered by the Bahrain Polytechnic, with an overall cost of BD156,500 ($415097). The registration will be open until June end.

The programme is aimed at building the skills of Bahrainis who hold a B.Sc. degree in Media or Mass Communications, or BA in English Language.

The first batch is expected to begin on September 2011 and continue for 10 months. Selected candidates will acquire the necessary competencies to create and maintain website content in Arabic and English, manage IT projects and e-Marketing campaigns.

Candidates will receive a professional certificate in e-Content management which covers a combination of theory followed by on-the-job training in public or private sectors’ workplaces.

“The agreement is a translation to the e-Government initiatives which is part of its strategy, to enhance the government processes in the Kingdom of Bahrain and support e-Transformation, which will result in a better quality of government services provided to the citizens,” said Mohammed Ali Al Qaed, CEO of the eGA.

He also extended his appreciation to all parties that worked and designed in launching the programme.

Dr Ahmed Abdul Ghani Al Shaikh, Tamkeen’s vice president for Enterprise and Human Capital Development, said the skills gap was identified and Tamkeen has shown its flexibility by supporting the implementation of the programme.

'It is a sign of how swiftly the Bahraini society is moving towards a knowledge-based framework and we are sure that in the months ahead, we shall be looking to create similar programmes to answer new career calls.'

The programme will consist of 4 months of classroom training followed by up to 6 months of on-the-job training.

The professional certificate is at level 7 of the Bahrain Qualifications Framework and successful candidates can expect a minimum basic salary of BD460 and a maximum of BD1,200  in the government sector with a chance of increase after one year, while in the private sector it has a minimum basic salary of BD500, where Tamkeen will subsidise 50 per cent of this wage for the first 6 months of employment, and a maximum of BD1,500.

Employees with previous experience usually get 1-3 steps or 1 grade higher based on the CSB recruitment and training directorate assessment. However, e-Content administrator target grade is E-1, which has a minimum basic of BD736 and a maximum of BD1,096.

The eleigible graduates with the appropriate qualifications and language skills (fluent Arabic and English) and interested to join the programme, can visit www.ega.gov.bh to download and fill the application form.

This initiative is in line with Bahrain’s continuous efforts in implementing e-Initiatives, and due to the various governmental organisations’ urgent need for qualified e-Content Administrator employees, said a statement from eGA.-TradeArabia News Service