In attendance of His Excellency Jameel bin Mohammed Ali Humaidan, the Minister of Labour, stc Bahrain, a world-class digital enabler, has launched its latest edition of the graduate development program Jeel (meaning “generation” in Arabic) ICT on Thursday. The program will train citizens in Bahrain as part of its CSR strategy and commitment to empower the local youth in the Kingdom. The strategic initiative is launched in partnership with the Ministry of Labour, the Bahrain Economic Development Board (EDB) and Tamkeen.
As part of its CSR activities, stc Bahrain aims to contribute to the national workforce by developing the skill set of Bahraini youth in technical areas, contributing to the telecom sector and the Kingdom’s digital transformation journey. Through the 12-month program, youth in Bahrain are given opportunities to learn, grow, and apply their skills with hands-on training and development to kickstart their careers. By the end of the program, 10 trainees will be selected after the evaluation phase to join stc Bahrain as full-time employees.
His Excellency the Minister of Labour, Jameel bin Mohammed Ali Humaidan, commented: “The third edition of the graduate development program, Jeel ICT, supports the Ministry’s efforts to train and empower Bahraini job-seekers in the market in collaboration with our valuable partners. The MoU that has been signed today between the Ministry and stc Bahrain to launch the training program will offer job opportunities in the ICT sector as part of our on-the-job training service “Furas”, that has been launched by His Highness Shaikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa, His Majesty’s Representative for Humanitarian Works and Youth Affairs, providing opportunities for trainees in the labor market. The MoU also aims to utilize the capabilities of the Ministry and exchange expertise to keep in line with the latest trends and to prepare job-seekers for careers in the ICT field. The program highlights the importance of providing training opportunities for Bahrainis and earning the technical skills to advance their careers, as the youth are the center of development in the Kingdom of Bahrain, and the telecommunications sector is one of the high-potential sectors that attracts local qualified talent.”
Commenting on the launch, Nezar Banabeela, CEO of stc Bahrain, said: “As part of our corporate social responsibility at stc Bahrain, we want to build a strong ICT human capital for the nation to contribute to the Kingdom’s digital economy. We are proud to work with partners such as the Ministry of Labour, The Economic Development Board and Tamkeen to empower Bahraini youth in line with the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 to build the nation’s future workforce. The program also falls in line with our core values to ensure success: dynamism, devotion and drive – with an aim to contribute to Bahrain’s economy and empower the next generation of the ICT workforce in the Kingdom.”
His Excellency Khalid Humaidan, Chief Executive at Bahrain EDB, said: “Our talent is one of our greatest strengths. When it comes to digital talent specifically, we have seen time and time again how it is recognised as one of the main reasons that global tech companies choose to set up in Bahrain. We are proud to support stc’s Jeel ICT programme as it greatly aligns with the Bahraini government’s strategy to create more job opportunities and train Bahrainis. We wish the participants of the programme the best of luck and we look forward to see them play important roles in our economy, as the Kingdom further cements its position as a regional digital innovation hub.”
In addition, Ms. Maha Mofeez, Acting Chief Executive of the Labour Fund “Tamkeen” said, “We are pleased to be part of this strategic partnership to upskill local talent in the high potential ICT sector, generating positive impact in the national economy and creating high quality sustainable jobs for locals. This program is in line with Tamkeen’s mandate to make Bahrainis the employee of choice in the private sector, and enable the private sector to become the engine of economic growth in the Kingdom.”
The Jeel ICT program features a strong professional development plan, which has been designed to offer graduates a learning environment with real-time exposure of the various departments, including Human Resources, Technology, Finance, Government Affairs, Legal, Wholesale and Enterprise, as well as Commercial. The program will offer graduates on-the-job training, interactive workshops, one-on-one career coaching sessions, mock interview sessions and short-term projects.
The past two editions of the Graduate Development Program witnessed over 10,000 registrations, 19 graduates trained, and 15 employed full time at stc Bahrain. The program has accepted students across universities in Bahrain such as the University of Bahrain, Royal University for Women, Bahrain Polytechnic, Ahlia University, and more.
