Demanding jobs being shunned
by mahmood on 19/09/07 at 10:58 am · email · print
Hundreds of skilled jobs in the construction industry remain unfilled because Bahrainis find them too demanding, an executive at a top building firm has told the government.
Haji Hassan Group executive director Adel Al A’ali told a visiting delegation of the Labour Fund, led by its chairman Dr Nizar Al Baharna, that there were hundreds of jobs available for Bahrainis in the skilled and professional areas of the industry.
Experience
He also urged the fund to investigate the experience of the UK and other Western countries in preparing and training professional and skilled workers in the sector.
Mr Al A’ali explained that professional and skilled workers should be well paid and considered “valuable” assets.
“The construction sector is demanding and requires a specialised and trained workforce,” he said.
“There are hundreds of skilled and professional well-paid jobs within this sector and we do want to employ Bahrainis.”
In a presentation to Haji Hassan Group executives, Dr Al Baharna underlined the fund’s preparedness to develop programmes to qualify Bahrainis for construction jobs.
He also urged the private sector to benefit from the current human capital development programmes, as well as private sector support schemes.
“We aim to support the construction sector due to its vital contribution to the private sector,” he said.
“It should make the most of the Labour Fund’s programmes to prepare Bahrainis to work in the sector.”
Both sides agreed to continue discussions to come up with an action plan.
The fund’s visit to Haji Hassan Group was part of a programme of meetings through which it will speak with businessmen in all sectors.
The objective is to introduce the fund’s strategy, objectives and initiatives to the private sector, and seek its co-operation in designing and developing programmes to serve its needs – making Bahrainis what it calls preferred “employees of choice”.
GDN – 19 Sept, ’07
