A proposal requiring large companies to provide structured annual training for Bahraini university graduates was referred back for further study following a closely contested debate in the Shura Council yesterday.
The draft law seeks to add a new article to the Vocational Training Law, obliging employers with 50 or more workers to train nominated Bahraini university graduates for at least three months each year, at a rate of one trainee for every 50 employees.
Labour and Legal Affairs Minister Yousif Khalaf expressed the government’s clear opposition to the proposal in its current form.
“The current training system is sufficient, flexible and already regulated through ministerial decisions,” he said. “There is no evidence of negligence or misuse by employers, and many companies are already keen to train and employ Bahrainis.”
He warned that the proposal could unintentionally restrict training opportunities by focusing only on university graduates, excluding other Bahrainis seeking work regardless of qualifications. He also noted that existing mechanisms through the ministry and the Labour Fund (Tamkeen) already provide wide-ranging training programmes linked to employment support.
Services committee chairwoman Dr Jameela Al Salman, however, defended the spirit of the proposal, describing it as a ‘practical bridge’ between education outcomes and labour market needs.
“Training is not a substitute for employment, but a necessary step that equips graduates with practical skills and professional exposure required by the labour market,” she said. “This ensures large employers play a direct role in preparing national talent for real jobs.”
She noted that more than 15,000 people are registered as jobseekers, around 70 per cent of them university graduates, highlighting a persistent gap between academic learning and workplace readiness.
“The current law provides a general obligation to train jobseekers, but does not specifically guarantee opportunities for university graduates,” she added.
Shura Council woman and child affairs committee chairwoman Ejlal Bubshait said the gap between university outputs and real labour market needs has widened due to technological changes and the theoretical nature of many academic programmes.
“This proposal helps close that gap through training programmes designed around the needs of companies, creating sustainable employment opportunities and raising productivity,” she added.
Member Fuad Al Haji recalled Bahrain’s long history of on-the-job training initiatives dating back to the 1980s, praising the Labour and Legal Affairs Ministry’s efforts but stressing that fresh graduates still lack practical exposure compared to experienced expatriates.
“This is where private sector institutions, large and small, must play a role in equipping graduates with real work experience,” he said, suggesting the proposal be returned to the committee to avoid losing it in the legislative cycle.
Member Dr Hani Al Saati acknowledged national efforts to tackle unemployment, but cautioned against rigid legislative obligations.
“The challenge is structural and linked to education outputs and labour market needs. Flexible solutions and incentives may be more effective than mandatory legislation,” he said, even proposing a unified GCC platform for training and employment mobility.
Shura Council first vice-chairman Jamal Fakhro strongly supported the intent of the bill.
“We want our graduates to be on the job, learning work ethics and gaining experience during the first three months after graduation, or even before,” he said. “Without obligating companies, we will not achieve the numbers needed.”
He noted that Tamkeen trained 11,800 Bahrainis in four years, 61pc of them new graduates, but argued this was still insufficient compared to the scale of need.
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