Tamkeen and A. A. Bin Hindi Group sign agreement to train and employ Bahrainis

As part of its objective to upskill Bahrainis and make them the employees of choice, Tamkeen signed an agreement with A. A. Bin Hindi Group to train and employ 15 Bahrainis in the company’s vehicle maintenance services. The signing ceremony was attended by Tamkeen Chief Executive Mahmood Hashem Al-Kooheji, Bin Hindi Group Vice Chairman & Chief Executive Officer Ahmed Abdullah Bin Hindi, Chairman of National Institute for Industrial Training (NIIT) Mr. Emad Abdulrahman Almoayyed and senior officials. 

The agreement is the latest within the Automotive Industry Diploma Scheme, one of many schemes comprising Tamkeen’s Employment Support Programme. Under this flagship programme, Tamkeen provides employment opportunities for job seekers through tailored accredited training set by companies looking to hire qualified Bahrainis. Tamkeen also subsidises the beneficiaries’ salaries for a pre-determined period of time. 

The Automotive Industry Diploma scheme offers Bahrainis between the ages of 18 – 25 who hold high school diplomas high-level training at (NIIT) and the automotive companies participating in the programme. The theoretical training is handled by NIIT while the on-the-job training takes place at the automotive companies in order to ensure that trainees have the requisite knowledge and skills. The scheme, which has a total budget of around BD580,000, is set to benefit 105 Bahrainis. Tamkeen has already secured agreements with Almoayyed Motors, Ebrahim K. Kanoo, and Zayani Motors, as well as A. A. Bin Hindi Group through the scheme. 

As per the agreement between Tamkeen and A. A. Bin Hindi Group, training will span 12 months divided into three four-month stages. In the first four months, participants will receive general vehicle maintenance training, while the second and third stages focus on brand-specific training.   

Commenting on the signing, Mr. Al-Kooheji said, “Tamkeen’s Employment Support Programme addresses two issues at once; Companies fill their vacancies with qualified Bahrainis with salary subsidies while at the same time job seekers secure employment in leading companies. It is a win-win solution that is in line with our efforts to offer effective programmes that equip Bahrainis in the private sector with the necessary skills needed by the labour market to enable them to achieve their potential, which ultimately supports our broader objective of positioning the private sector the main driver of our national economy.” 

Also commenting on the signing, Mr. Bin Hindi said: “The automotive sector is one of the key sectors that have big employment potential for Bahrainis due to the wide range of specialisations within it, namely on the technical and technological side. As such, we are delighted to partner with Tamkeen in order to fill the employment needs of this important sector with a pool of dedicated young Bahrainis who boast world-class qualifications.” 

Mr. Almoayyed also commented, “We are proud of the ongoing collaboration between NIIT, Tamkeen and leading industrial companies in the country to implement several programmes which seek to develop Bahrain’s human capital to leading global standards and securing employment for the graduates. These joint efforts bolster Bahrain’s industrial strategy that is being implemented by the Ministry of Industry and Commerce to increase the contribution of the industrial sector to gross domestic product.” 

According to Tamkeen’s 2013 Operational Plan, the Employment Support Programme currently includes 23 programmes which seek to train and employ more than 3,300 Bahrainis. In addition to the automotive industry, these programmes also cover other sectors such as retail, healthcare, finance and accounting, marketing, logistics, ICT, and legal services. 

NIIT was established five years ago by a group of 53 business leaders in Bahrain to train Bahrainis and enhance their employability. To date, NIIT worked with 800 companies in Bahrain that specialise in engineering, commerce, and industrial fields. 

More than 77,000 Bahrainis and Bahraini enterprises have benefited from Tamkeen programmes to date, with the figure expected to rise to more than 150,000 in the near future.