Tamkeen puts business ethics in inJAz spotlight

The BD163,550 initiative will help inJAz Bahrain launch the Business Ethics module in addition to four-modules currently offered to young students.

The collaboration will provide school and university students with a valuable opportunity to draw on the experience of established businessmen and women who coach them and interact with them through the inJAz volunteer programme. Marking the joint effort, an agreement was signed by Mr Abdullelah Al Qassmi, Acting Chief Executive of Tamkeen (Labour Fund) and inJAz Bahrain President Shaikha Hessa bint Khalifa Al Khalifa.

inJAz Bahrain is a non-profit registered public interest society with membership in Junior Achievement, an international organisation established to provide young people with business and economic education. It provides students in their final years of study with the knowledge, skills, tools and hands-on experience needed for establishing a successful career. The focus of such efforts is on developing economics, entrepreneurship and financial literacy competencies that reiterate market- driven economies; the role of business in the economy, the relevance of education in the workplace (life long learning) the impact of economics on the future of youths, the commitment of business to social, environmental and other ethical issues.

Tamkeen's sponsorship of the Business Ethics module will be spread over three years till end-2011 and 4,680 Bahrainis are expected to benefit from the BD 163, 550 infusion of funds. 1560 school and university students will be enrolled in the Business Ethics module for the coming 3 years as per the schedule. The initiative specifically addresses the "low work ethics" condition defined in Tamkeen's strategy which serves as a related skill gap impacting most sectors and represents an identified priority theme often referenced by the business community.

"Bahrain has always prided itself on its legacy of transparency and taken a leading role in establishing standards where issues such as anti-trust and anti-money laundering is concerned," observed Tamkeen's Acting CE Abdulellah Al Qassimi, "Against this historic backdrop, we feel that this initiative to expose the Bahraini business leaders of tomorrow to a topic as important as business ethics and values is a move in the right direction."

Tamkeen's funding will be used to organise analytical seminars and interactive sessions aimed at engaging secondary school and university students in practical business ethics matters while exploring personal, business, and global ethics topics with their volunteer in class and have the opportunity to discuss related topics with other Business Ethics students around the world through on-line forums and competitions.

"Tamkeen's financial sponsorship of the 'Business Ethics' module will provide a valuable opportunity to introduce and instill ethics related concepts through inJAz among young Bahrainis," said inJAz Bahrain President Shaikha Hessa bint Khalifa Al Khalifa, "It will position the coming generations to succeed in the global economy. The programme seeks to integrate global perspectives and understandings of ethics with practical domestic applications."