Bahrain’s new Employability Skills Portal is a key tool for assessing the kingdom’s labour market needs and develop targeted solutions and support programmes. 

 

Introducing the portal, Skills Bahrain and the Information and e-Government Authority said the portal, the first-of-its-kind in the region, was developed in collaboration between the Labour Fund (Tamkeen), through its Skills Bahrain initiative, and the Information & eGovernment Authority. It offers key labour market data through its dedicated platform, which can be viewed on: www.esp.bh

 

The portal was officially launched by Shaikh Isa bin Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Isa bin Salman Educational Charitable Trust and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Labour Fund (Tamkeen), during a ceremony held last week to officially inaugurate the Skills Bahrain initiative.

 

Joint efforts

The platform reflects the joint efforts of Tamkeen, the Information & eGovernment Authority, and other labour market stakeholders in providing relevant and reliable labour market data. 

 

By integrating and analysing information secured from several sources, the portal delivers a holistic view of Bahrain’s labour market, enabling individuals and organisations to access key data transparently in order to aid in their decision making, while also helping design support programmes and targeted solutions that are aligned with the needs of the market.

 

The Employability Skills Portal serves a wide range of groups, including students, parents, job seekers, employees, employers, and education and training providers in order to support informed decision-making in key areas like education, training, and labour market trends by providing data-driven insights. It also highlights in-demand skills and jobs across sectors based on research conducted by Tamkeen’s Skills Bahrain initiative. 

 

Major milestone

Amer Marhoon Managing Director - Skills Bahrain said: “The launch of the Employability Skills Portal marks a major milestone in Tamkeen’s commitment to creating an ecosystem where Bahrainis are the employee of choice in the labour market. The portal also provides job seekers and graduates with the tools they need to make well-informed career decisions. 

 

“Furthermore, it enables Tamkeen to strategically design programmes and human capital development initiatives that address skills gaps by utilising reliable, data-driven market data. At Tamkeen, we will also ensure that our programmes and initiatives are updated based on the latest available data to reflect the dynamic nature of Bahrain’s labour market, thus enhancing employment opportunities for Bahrainis.” 

 

 Marhoon also commended the efforts of Team Bahrain and the ongoing collaboration between the various entities involved in providing and regularly updating the data to ensure the accuracy of the information available on the portal.

 

Dr Khalid AlMutawa, Deputy Chief Executive for Operation & Governance at the Information and eGovernment Authority highlighted the significance of the Employability Skills Portal, saying: “The Portal provides comprehensive and integrated data on the most critical skills and jobs in demand within the labour market. This initiative underscores our commitment to furthering digital transformation and leveraging advanced technology and artificial intelligence to support Bahrain’s high-value sectors. It is the product of a joint collaboration between the IGA, Tamkeen, the Skills Bahrain initiative, and other government entities, resulting in the development of this key national project.”

 

Latest technologies

Dr AlMutawa stated that Portal utilises the latest technologies and systems to facilitate electronic integration between government databases. This ensures a seamless flow of primary labour market data, which is then analysed using cloud computing technology to provide insights for policymakers to shape employment strategies for both the public and private sectors. He noted that this approach helps save time, enhances efficiency, and accelerates progress.

 

He added that the IGA leverages the capabilities of the National Cloud, utilising the National “Data Lake” to store information from twelve data owners/providers. This data is then securely integrated into the portal’s database through encrypted electronic connections. 

 

The portal features multiple dashboards that, in its initial phase, focus on data related to the private sector. One such dashboard showcases private sector statistics, presenting information on the number of employees across sectors by age group, allowing users to explore specific professions by comparing employment data, job roles, and average industry wages. 

 

Additional dashboards are tailored to various audience groups, providing insights including enrollment and graduation statistics across academic specialisations, as well as a university guide detailing available academic programmes.

 

Providing ministerial information

The Employability Skills Portal provides information shared by various ministries, government authorities, and local organisations, including the Ministry of Labour, the Ministry of Industry and Commerce, the Ministry of Education, the Social Insurance Organisation, higher education institutes, and Tamkeen. 

 

The Information & eGovernment Authority vets the data before it is integrated into the portal. Additionally, the Platform is currently in its initial phase, with plans for continuous updates and the future introduction of additional features and services.--TradeArabia News Service