BAHRAIN has launched a four-year plan aimed at regulating its labour market.
The ambitious scheme aims to achieve four core strategic goals that feature 30 initiatives.
Labour Minister Jameel Humaidan, who is also Labour Market Regulatory Authority (LMRA) chairman, unveiled the 2023-2026 roadmap following its approval by the Cabinet.
The plan aims to enhance citizens’ competitiveness so that they are the first choice for employment, improve their employability, align education outputs with the labour market and bolster partnership with the private sector as well as boost domestic and foreign investments.
Mr Humaidan stressed the importance of strengthening oversight regulations and enacting legislations that help attract investments and control the movement of workers in the labour market.
The plan builds on the success of the previous 2021-2023 strategy, which was achieved by 91 per cent.
Citing updated figures, the minister noted a tangible increase in the rate of employing citizens in the private sector over the 2021-2023 period.
Economic recovery and the increasing volume of investments played a crucial role in boosting employment rates, he said.
Other stakeholders also took part in drawing up the new plan, including the ministries of Interior, Education and Industry and Commerce as well as the Higher Education Council, the LMRA, Tamkeen, the Social Insurance Organisation, the Information and eGovernment Authority and the Education and Training Quality Authority.
The new plan also aims to reduce the difference in the cost of employing Bahraini and foreign workers, create more opportunities for Bahraini job-seekers in the private sector and expand partnerships between the government and the private sector.
“Companies will be encouraged to adopt various types of employment in the labour market to enhance economic participation,” said the minister, citing part-time employment and remote work/telework which would help create more jobs.
He pledged to step up efforts to promote programmes aimed at further integrating women in the labour market and providing more suitable vacancies for female job-seekers.
Training Bahraini job-seekers to meet market needs and supporting those who find it difficult to enter the labour market also feature in the new plan.
Work is also underway to promote post-school education, provide flexible education and training and expand technical and applied disciplines.
The Labour Fund (Tamkeen) will launch vocational and job development programmes in various economic sectors to support citizens’ employment stability and provide windows for promotions and professional development.
Tamkeen will also play a key role in creating investment-friendly environment, supporting small and medium start-ups through funding programmes as well as training and technical entrepreneurship advice.
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