Labour Fund Chairman receives Bahrain Institute for Hospitality and Retail Management

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 BD250 for entry-level jobs, BD350 for supervisory level jobs and BD500 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.