The Labour Fund (Tamkeen) announced the graduation of 76 students from the immersive training programs in partnership with General Assembly, a leading provider of tech training. The programs covered software engineering and user experience design and helped a number of graduates secure job opportunities only a few weeks after completing the programs in a number of local and international companies such as BNET, Al Baraka Bank, and Parcel.  

On this occasion, Her Excellency, Ms. Maha Mofeez, Chief Executive of the Labour Fund (Tamkeen) emphasized the far-reaching benefits of upskilling in technology for jobseekers, entrepreneurs looking to start tech businesses, those pursuing career progression and development, as well as supporting freelance and project-based work opportunities for individuals. This is evident through the remarkable results of these programs, as over 40% of graduates benefited from the programs to secure job opportunities, get promoted within their organizations or develop their entrepreneurial ventures within 2 months of graduating. This percentage is expected to increase over the next six months.

Her Excellency added: “Our current strategy is focused on encouraging digital transformation across the various economic sectors. To achieve that, we established partnerships that contribute to preparing a pool of highly skilled national talent equipped for the requirements of digital transformation initiatives and able to champion the adoption of technology within their organizations to enhance their operational models, increase the productivity and ability to expand and achieve sustainability.”  

Lisa Lewin, Chief Executive of General Assembly, noted: "We are thrilled to be partnering with Tamkeen to train Bahrainis in tech skills and place them in their dream jobs."

She continued, "Technical skills gaps are a global challenge that affects nearly every industry, and as technology evolves, it will become increasingly crucial and necessary to address this gap and prepare Bahrainis for the next era of employment."

Commenting on her participation in the program, Ms. Fatima Al Attar, one of the graduates of the immersive training program stated: “This program opened new opportunities for me by enhancing my knowledge and experience in technology and provided me with the professional qualifications required to secure a number of high-value job offers. I accepted one of these offers and I’m currently employed in a regional company developing tech products in the high-potential ESG space”

This is part of the ongoing collaboration between Tamkeen and General Assembly which was announced last year with the purpose of providing tech training in alignment with Tamkeen’s commitment to developing the skills that cater to the growing labor market demand and enhance the competitiveness of national talent both locally and internationally.

The initiative, which aims to train 1,200 Bahrainis in coding and fundamental technology skills over the next two years, has so far conducted three immersive training programs in addition to a number of short courses that covered topics such as data analytics, software engineering, and user experience design. The number of graduates to date has reached 293 Bahrainis with a 97% success rate in the training programs that have concluded.

Furthermore, General Assembly hosted a career fair with ten leading partners in the tech space such as Zain Bahrain, Bahrain Islamic Bank, Bahrain Development Bank, Hope Talents, and more, which included 15 job opportunities offered by the partnering companies for program participants in addition to job opportunities curated by General Assembly in collaboration with a number of local and international organizations.

The training programs were conducted by leading General Assembly international experts from London, New York, Paris, and Seattle.

The window of applications for the upcoming training programs will open soon and will be announced through General Assembly and Tamkeen’s official channels.

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