Initiative part of Tamkeen’s Global-Ready Talent Program and strategy to upskill local talent

As part of a strategy to develop Bahraini skills in basic sciences and information technology, the Labor Fund (Tamkeen) signed a cooperation agreement with Shaikh Ebrahim bin Mohammed Al Khalifa Center for Culture & Research to train a number of University of Bahrain (UoB) students at the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) as part of Tamkeen’s Global-Ready Talent program.

The agreement was signed in the presence of Her Excellency Shaikha Mai bint Mohammed Al Khalifa, Chairperson of the Board of Trustees of the Sheikh Ebrahim bin Mohammed Al Khalifa, and Tamkeen Chief Executive, Her Excellency Ms. Maha Mofeez.

One of the world’s leading bodies for fundamental particle physics research, scientific discoveries, technology, and innovation, the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) runs the largest laboratories worldwide, including one of its biggest projects, the Large Hadron Collider where thousands of scientists from around the globe work. This participation for the Bahraini students at CERN presents a unique work and collaboration opportunity to forge networks and connections with the world’s most renowned science researchers and be part of scientific experiments on a global scale. This also enhances the position of the Kingdom of Bahrain as an active member of CERN’s projects and promotes Bahraini talent on an international scale in the fields of technology, innovation and scientific discovery.

As per the agreement, students from the University of Bahrain will be trained at the CERN headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland for a period of 12 months as part of the Global-Ready Talent Program. The program aims to accelerate the participants’ professional development by providing on-the-job training at various prestigious institutions around the world, which contributes to enhancing the skills, knowledge, and competitiveness of the local workforce.

On this occasion, Her Excellency Shaikha Mai bint Mohammed Al Khalifa said: “This collaboration between The Search Center for elementary particle physics which is part of Shaikh Ebrahim bin Mohammed Al Khalifa Center for Culture & Research and the Labour Fund (Tamkeen) will provide a great opportunity for University of Bahrain Students to conduct research projects and attend training and the world leading science center, CERN, thus enabling them to enhance their knowledge and skills in technology and innovation, specifically within basic sciences, engineering and computing.”

Her Excellency Ms. Maha Mofeez also highlighted the importance of providing Bahrainis with the opportunity to gain international exposure, stating: “This agreement is aligned with our ultimate goal of refining the skills and enriching the expertise of Bahraini professionals, especially in the rapidly growing ICT sector. We encourage individuals to broaden their horizons and open up to the outside world, gain experience and knowledge, and find promising opportunities for growth and development. We will continue our endeavors to identify more valuable opportunities for unique Bahraini talents.”

To date, Tamkeen partnered with various international companies as part of its the Global-Ready Talent Program which provided 48 Bahrainis with on-the-job training opportunities at various these companies’ headquarters, including the Fives Group, Arla Foods, Citibank, SABIC, and Prodrive International. The program supports the career progression of participants, preparing them for leadership positions in the future.

This initiative comes as an extension of Tamkeen’s strategic priorities for this year which are based on four key pillars: facilitating the increased economic participation of Bahrainis, providing training that is aligned with the labor market needs in new and emerging skills, as well as supporting growth and development of enterprises and ecosystem development, all of which drive positive economic impact and sustainable growth.