By SOMAN BABY

MANAMA

BAHRAINI jobseekers have so far benefited from 32 training projects costing a total of BD63.7 million under a government scheme launched at the beginning of last year.

The money will help Tamkeen, previously known as the Labour Fund, to train 19,100 people and provide financing to 2,455 Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), Minister of State for Foreign Affairs and Tamkeen chairman Dr Nazar Al Baharna said yesterday.

He revealed the figures during a talk for Bahraini-French Business Club members at the Golden Tulip Hotel last night.

“Tamkeen has for the last two years defined for itself a specific strategic plan to translate the objectives of the (labour) reform project into tangible and carefully monitored projects,” he added.

The organisation funds its projects with money generated from government levies on expat workers, training the local workforce to meet the demands of the labour market.

Dr Al Baharna said it hoped to drive the development of Bahrain’s private sector.

“We shall stimulate the diversification of sectors and venture into new and emerging business activities,” he added.

“The projects will help enhance employment of a skilled national workforce, which will serve as an attractive ingredient for attracting investment to the country.”

Eighty per cent of labour fees collected by the Labour Market Regulatory Authority (LMRA) are transferred to Tamkeen.