Bahraini wins top honors in Tamkeen’s international retail certification programme

Young Bahraini national Mohammad Yousef Ali Marhoon was honoured today Tuesday, 20 March, for placing first in the City & Guilds (UK) international qualification exam for retail certification.

Mr. Marhoon was recognized in a ceremony held at the British Embassy in Bahrain and attended by Tamkeen Chief Executive Officer Mahmood Al-Kooheji, H. E. British Ambassador Iain Lindsay, and a number of officials.

A sales assistant at Bahrain Duty Free, Mr. Marhoon was one of Tamkeen’s beneficiaries from the Retail Programme that Tamkeen offers in partnership with Bahrain International Retail Development Centre (BIRD) as part of its initiatives to develop national human capital.

Mr. Marhoon said he took the initiative to apply for the programme due to his strong desire to further develop his skills, enhance his career progression opportunities.

He said the three-month course helped him learn best practices in retail and develop specific skills in areas like customer service, relations with supervisors, knowledge of products and services, workplace management, and  other skills necessary for success.

On this occasion, HE, Mr. Ian Lindsay, British Ambassador to Bahrain commented, “On this occasion we are very pleased with this achievement by a young Bahraini national which reflects the strong and deep-rooted relations between Bahrain and the United Kingdom which has been established over 200 years ago. We wish Mr. Marhoon all the best in his future career”.

Mr. Mahmood Al-Kooheji, Tamkeen’s Chief Executive, also congratulated Mr. Mohammed Marhoon for his excellent achievement, calling him a true model of ambitious Bahraini youths working to build a brighter future for themselves. He noted that Tamkeen offers a range of programmes to fund the training and development of Bahrain’s national workforce in sectors such as retail, aviation, engineering, hospitality, healthcare, management, finance, accounting, and other in-demand disciplines. Al-Kooheji further stressed that Tamkeen will continue its efforts to provide creative programmes that cater for the needs of individuals and enterprises in the private sector.

Tamkeen’s Retail Programme offers grants to school graduates and those who have not completed their secondary education to obtain accredited certificates from BIRD. Launched in 2008, the programme targets the training of 1,500 Bahrainis. About 1,000 people have benefited from the programme thus far.