Bahrain’s commitment to bridging the skills gap between education and the labour market is evident in various national policies. Addressing companies’ historical preference for expatriate workers, the kingdom aims to boost employability among secondary and tertiary students. The initiatives helping raise workforce readiness include the 2021 Economic Recovery Plan; the National Labour Market Plan (NLMP) 2023-26; the Skills Bahrain programme run by the Labour Fund (Tamkeen); and Closing the Skills Gap, an accelerator led by the Bahrain Economic Development Board (Bahrain EDB).
National Policy
The Labour Market Regulatory Authority (LMRA) launched the NLMP 2023-26, following the NLMP 2021-23, to promote employment for citizens. The first aim is to harmonise education output with labour market needs by modernising secondary schooling, and strengthening technical and vocational education and training. The LMRA is working with key stakeholders to understand the needs in the labour market and has launched the Employment Skills Digital Platform to provide data on existing skills gaps. The second goal is to make Bahrainis the employees of choice in the private sector by equipping them with the requisite skills. Lastly, the LMRA seeks to refine the expatriate recruitment process, encouraging their employment to address specific skills shortages, thereby ensuring they complement rather than replace national workers.
The NLMP is implemented through Tamkeen, a semi-autonomous government agency focused on developing workers’ skills through training and capacity-building initiatives. Tamkeen collaborates with private and public sector entities to bridge the skills gap by providing data and tools. It identifies current and future market needs and develops skilled, globally competitive Bahraini talent through career development programmes in various economic sectors. Tamkeen’s sector skills report, which covers finance, telecommunications, energy and manufacturing, provides a better understanding of the challenges in the job market.
According to a May 2022 Skills Bahrain survey for the telecommunications segment, 75% of line managers and 69% of HR managers said a lack of skills hinders business growth. Additionally, 45% of employees lacked a good understanding of the sector. Despite 61% of telecoms workers holding a bachelor’s degree and 20% a master’s degree, the survey suggests graduates lack the necessary skills to transition to the labour force.
The Shura Council approved a law in January 2024 that requires employers with 50 or more workers to provide professional training to university graduates for at least three months. Under the law, companies must offer training to at least one employee out of every 50. Greater participation from the private sector in training schemes could help advance the aims of the NLMP and promote greater Bahrainisation in the workplace.
Public-Private Initiatives
The Bahrain EDB partnered with the World Economic Forum in January 2020 to establish an accelerator to close the skills gap. Bahrain is one of several countries, including Argentina, India, Oman, Pakistan, South Africa and the UAE, to join the programme. The WEF expects Bahrain’s workforce to expand by around 8000 workers a year, with many entering the private sector. A 2019 employer survey across health care, financial services, manufacturing, logistics, oil and gas, renewables, ICT and startups showed that there was a major gap in digital skills in Bahrain’s labour market. The accelerator aims to bring together the country’s businesses, government, civil society, education institutes and training providers to enhance the understanding of the issue and to develop and execute an action plan accordingly.
Since 2019, public and private initiatives have addressed challenges related to the skills gap by raising awareness of labour market needs and updating Bahrain’s education system. Greater private sector engagement could enhance government efforts to promote Bahrainisation in the workplace and narrow the skills gap between education and employment.
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