The Council of Representatives unanimously approved an edict to provide partial funding for the Train and Place Programme in the sum of BD200 million after exhaustive deliberations yesterday.

This initiative, operated by the Labour Fund (Tamkeen), aims to facilitate the integration of Bahraini nationals into the labour market. In an effort to elevate the minimum wage across various sectors of society, the scheme was designated urgent, with the ultimate goal of enhancing the living standards of Bahrainis.

This endeavour is expected to expedite crucial programmes aimed at improving the skills of Bahraini jobseekers, aligning them with the requirements of the labour market and subsequently increasing their productivity, creating, in turn, more job opportunities for Bahraini jobseekers.

The scheme has been nodded by both the Labour Market Regulatory Authority (LMRA) and the Bahrain Free Labour Unions Federation, signalling their approval and support. A sum of BD129 million is expected to be allocated for 13,000 Bahraini employees.

As for private institutions set to promote its employees, the scheme will fully cover the intended increment for employees earning below BD1,500 per month over a period of 24 months.

According to official statistics provided by the Ministry of Labour, the number of jobseekers in Bahrain stands at 16,856, with a minimum wage for private sector employees at BD500 for college graduates, BD430 for diploma holders, and BD350 for secondary school graduates and below average at BD826.