-Dr. Al Baharna: The Kingdom of Bahrain and its people are known for their hospitality and courteousness - Bahrainis need to be the face of the Hospitality and Retail sector
-BIHR Management: Hospitality and Retail management training progressing well, out of the 489 students, 167 have completed their training and have been employed while 322 are still undergoing their training.
Manama - H.E. the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs and Chairman of the Labour Fund Dr. Nezar bin Sadiq Al Baharna met with the Bahrain Institute for Hospitality and Retail management, during which he was updated on the progress of Bahrainis undergoing training in the Hospitality and retail sector.
Dr. Al Baharna was presented with a report on the progress of these programmes, the recent development and challenges related to the development of this sector.
H.E. Dr. Al Baharna, in his capacity as the Chairman of the Labour Fund urged the need to motivate and encourage Bahrainis to penetrate this vital sector, "The Kingdom of Bahrain and its people are known for their hospitality and courteousness - Bahrainis need to be the face of the Hospitality and Retail sector. There is a boom in these sectors with a high number of job vacancies with attractive opportunities for career progression and rewarding salaries".
He reiterated the need for the Labour Fund alongside with its partners to work collectively towards establishing Bahrain as a regional resource centre for qualified human capital and excellence.
Vice Chairman of the BIHR Board Mr. Hatim Dadhabhai reassured the Chairman and the executive management of the Labour Fund that the training programmes are on track. The total number of current students who are registered in the various hospitality and retail management programmes and courses have reached 489, of which 167 have completed their training and 322 are still in progress. Amongst which there is a also a balance between male and female participation, with 256 females registered versus 233 males.
Dr. Al Baharna emphasised that the Labour Fund is determined to apply its strategy in order to develop as many Bahraini people and institutions within the private sector, highlighting their role in the acceleration of economic development.
The Labour Fund had signed two different contracts in 2007 to train Bahrainis at the Bahrain Institute for Hospitality and retail management, following a public tender.
The hospitality training initiative encompasses the training of 1,500 trainees for diverse entry-level positions, 300 middle-level positions and 50 Bahrainis who will take a BSc. in hospitality management aimed to assume high positions in the sectors, as well as 20 nationals working in HR positions will also benefit from CHRE, a professional certification from AHLA to upgrade their HR skills in the hospitality industry.
Meanwhile, training for the retail sector will equip 650 Bahrainis with internationally recognised skill-sets since the course was based on the industry-respected Australian Retail Association (ARA) curriculum and assessment pattern. BIHM will carry out 7 month and 18 month programmes for different batches of eligible Bahrainis, equipping them with skill-sets for three different kinds of work profiles: entry-level retail sector jobs; supervisory-level retail sector jobs and managerial jobs for Bahrainis who are currently at the supervisory level in the industry. Salary levels in the retail sector begin at BD 250 for entry-level jobs, BD 350 for supervisory level jobs and BD 500 for managerial jobs.
Attending from the Bahrain Institute for Hospitality and Retail were Vice-Chairman of the BIHR Board Mr. Hatim Dadabhai, BIHR Managing Director Mr. Qutub Dadabhai, and the Director of BIHR Mr. Abbas Faraj. From the Labour Fund present were the Acting Chief Executive of the Labour Fund Mr. Abdulellah Al Qassimi, Human Capital Development Manager Mr. Yousif Ali and the Marketing Communications Manager Ms. Hala Suleiman.
-Ends-
Editor's Notes
The Labour Fund
The Kingdom of Bahrain has taken vital steps towards a labour market reform which is an essential stride to ensure that the human capital of the country is developed and that employment is made more attractive for localization as well as to improve performances of businesses. The strive towards labour reform will impact the Kingdom's economy and raise standards of living as well as pose a challenging commitment to the improvement of services in Bahrain.
The Labour Fund is a semi-autonomous yet independent authority which formulates strategic and operational plans to use the fees collected by the LMRA in order to enhance the overall prosperity of Bahrain by investing in Bahraini employability, job creation, and social support. Hence, the Labour Fund's main objectives are (i) to support Bahrainis to become the employees of choice, and (ii) to support high quality private sector job creation and helping the private sector cope with the impact of labour market reform.
To achieve these objectives, the LF will invest (i) in the cost and quality competitiveness of Bahrainis (e.g., reduction of cost of employing Bahrainis relative to expatriates, investment in skill and work ethic development programs of Bahrainis) and tackle employment barriers on both employer and labour market entrants sides through a combination of financial incentives and capability building, and (ii) in supporting the private sector's adjustment to new cost structures by providing access to capital to alleviate short-term cash constraints or improve productivity, and in know-how initiatives that support improvements in productivity and decreased reliance on expatriate labour through spreading management and technical knowledge.
For more information, please contact:
Ms. Hala A. Suleiman
Marketing Communications Manager
Labour Fund
Kingdom of
Tel: 1783335
Fax:17382352
Email:
info@lf.bh
© Press Release 2008
