Tamkeen Releases Second Batch Of Sector Skills Reports To Boost Bahrain's Workforce

Bahrain’s Labour Fund (Tamkeen) has launched the second batch of its sector skills reports, focusing on the manufacturing and energy sectors as part of the "Skills Bahrain" initiative. This initiative aims to create a skills-based environment that aligns with the labour market's needs by collaborating with representatives from government and private organisations.

The "Skills Bahrain" initiative facilitates the transition from education to employment by analysing key economic sectors in the kingdom. It identifies the current and future skills required by these sectors. The reports also assess the impact of local, regional, and global changes, particularly digital technology and artificial intelligence, on emerging and future jobs.

The reports include career pathway maps for various professional roles within each sector, providing a unified reference point for stakeholders. Maha Mofeez, Chief Executive of Tamkeen, highlighted that these reports will help address gaps between available skills and job requirements by offering information that supports career guidance for students and job seekers.

Mofeez stated, "The dynamic nature of the labour market creates gaps between the skills available and the job requirements in different sectors. Accordingly, Skills Bahrain’s reports will contribute to addressing these gaps by providing information that supports career guidance for students and job seekers."

Importance of Readiness

Amer Marhoon, managing director of "Skills Bahrain", emphasised the importance of this initiative in preparing the national workforce for specialisations required by the labour market. He noted that analysing labour market requirements in key economic sectors aligns with Bahrain's economic recovery plan.

Marhoon added, "We previously released two skills reports on the financial services and telecommunications sectors, and work is currently under way to prepare reports for other key sectors including healthcare, tourism and hospitality, transportation and logistics, education, retail, and real estate and construction."

Future Trends and Required Skills

The reports highlight future trends in these sectors and the jobs required. Some trends revolve around Industry 4.0 technologies, digital automation, artificial intelligence, and technological advancements in exploration and drilling operations. Skills such as computer-aided design (CAD) and data analysis are among those needed in these sectors.

In the energy sector, jobs include specialists in new fields such as metallurgical engineers and cybersecurity specialists. The manufacturing sector requires roles like automation and robotics engineers and research and development scientists.

Aligning Education with Market Needs

The findings of these reports will help align educational and training programmes with labour market requirements. They will also contribute to developing Tamkeen’s programmes to meet emerging skills needs, enhancing the productivity and competitiveness of the national workforce.