The Chief Executive of Bahrain's Economic Development Board (EDB) today commended Tamkeen after the organisation announced its investment in human capital had targeted over 20,000 job entrants and employees by end-2009.
Shaikh Mohammed bin Essa Al Khalifa's comments follow the publication of Tamkeen's Annual Report, which shows its private sector support programmes had supported 3,212 enterprises by the close of the year. Some 27,560 job entrants and employees have been targeted for specialised training through its human capital development programmes. And thousands more have benefited through a number of approved enterprise and career development programmes.
He said: "The large number of beneficiaries enrolled in Tamkeen's programmes reflects its commitment to enabling a prosperous future for Bahrain and important role in achieving the ambitions of Vision 2030. This investment in human resources – and in cultivating the growth of the private sector – is crucial for the Kingdom's continued and sustainable economic growth."
The EDB – which is leading Bahrain's Vision 2030 and creating the right climate to attract foreign investment – launched labour market reforms in 2004 under the guidance of His Royal Highness Prince Salman Bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince of Bahrain and Chairman of the EDB. This has led to the establishment of Tamkeen to equip Bahrain's highly-skilled young workforce with the relevant skills to enable them to seek better opportunities to elevate the national living standards in line with Bahrain's Vision 2030.
Since 2007, Tamkeen has helped to enable the private sector and empower people, talent, careers, systems and cultures. The organisation has supported initiatives aimed at improving the labour and capital productivity of Bahraini businesses. And through programmes to help Bahrainis advance professionally, it is helping to ensure that an even greater number of the Kingdom's growing and increasingly diverse national workforce become the employees of choice for international businesses locating in Bahrain as the gateway to the trillion dollar Gulf market.
H.E. the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs and Tamkeen's Chairman Dr. Nezar bin Sadiq Al Baharna added: "Our alignment to the Kingdom's Economic Vision 2030 cements our goals and signifies the important role that we play in its realisation. Our mission now is to empower Bahrainis according to market requirements and build enterprise capabilities in order to contribute to the expansion of the national economy. A skilled workforce and an empowered private sector is another added value to all the other attractions for investing in Bahrain"
An estimated 100,000 young people will join the Bahrain workforce over the next 10 years. Among them will be an ever increasing number of university graduates and women seeking highly skilled positions. The Kingdom's business sector is already supported by the most productive, well-educated and highly skilled national workforce in the GCC, a key factor in attracting multinational companies.
Bahrain has consistently invested in education and skills-attainment in line with the requirements of international business. Tamkeen's own 2010-2014 Strategy aims to ensure the Kingdom's human capital is more productive, effective and responsive for a more competitive private sector.
