Bahrain: – General Assembly, a tech bootcamp provider supported by the Labour Fund (Tamkeen) in Bahrain, has reported an impressive 70.1% positive outcome rate for its graduates within 5 months since graduating, which includes job opportunities, freelance work, promotions and starting a business. The high positive outcome rate can be attributed to strategic partnerships with well-known organizations such as Zain Telecom, Bahrain Islamic Bank and HP Spring Studios. Notably, many of General Assembly's students were offered job opportunities on the spot at a career fair organized in December 2022. Further highlighting the hands-on experience that General Assembly provides, its students also participated in pro-bono work with Bahrain-based companies such as The Benefit Company, Beyon Connect, Loyale App, Ordable eCommerce, engaging in diverse user experience (UX) projects. General Assembly’s efforts have helped graduates who don’t have technical backgrounds or only have a high school education to secure employment within the tech industry, despite facing various challenges.
It is worth mentioning that General Assembly, the education institution specializing in offering high quality tech courses, has graduated over 277 students in Bahrain so far, in fields such as Software Engineering, User Experience Design, Data Analytics, Data Science & Digital Product Management.
General Assembly fosters an environment of continuous learning by inviting guest speakers from reputable tech organizations. These interactions not only enhance the curriculum but also give students an understanding of how to apply their learning in various professional fields. Speakers in the past have included Shaima Al-Meer , A Senior Space Data Analyst from National Space Science Agency to speak about how space data is being used to find solutions on earth, Asma Al Najdi, the founder of the Bahrain Intellectual Property Society to speak on the rules and protections laws we have in Bahrain for the tech industry and Dr. Mariam Al-Ammadi the founder of Child and Family Mental Health Foundation speaking to students on how to build a support system while going through the job searching journey and many more.
Her Excellency Maha Mofeez, Chief Executive of the Labour Fund (Tamkeen), said of the achievement, “I am proud of this success as it aligns with our strategic direction and priorities, especially in growing domains. At Tamkeen we have always been committed to enabling Bahraini talent and supporting their growth to help them become the first choice of employment for the private sector. By empowering the upcoming generation of Bahraini talent with essential skills for the digital era, we are preparing them for future success.”
This commitment to the local talent pool is echoed by Roger Lee, Chief Sales & Marketing Officer of General Assembly, who added, “Strong graduation rates and employment results highlight the importance of partnerships that raise job market skills to global standards. The technical skill-gap poses a hurdle that impacts almost every sector in Bahrain. With the rapid advancements in technology, bridging this gap and equipping Bahrainis for the upcoming employment era is of paramount importance.”
Zainab Khamis, Head of HP Spring Studios, one of General Assembly's Corporate Hiring Partners, stated, "Our commitment at HP Spring Studios is to co-found startups with exceptional entrepreneurs and shape the future of the fintech industry in MENA. We are thrilled to have hired two graduates from General Assembly, who have demonstrated impressive qualities and knowledge. Their technical expertise and remarkable soft skills have made them valuable members of our team. We look forward to our continued partnership with them and the growth of the fintech industry in the region."
It is worth mentioning that General Assembly’s support to jobseekers through career fairs and career guidance resulted in employment opportunities for individuals who have been jobseekers for long periods of time. Additionally, the academy’s approach led some of the enterprises to create new job vacancies for General Assembly’s graduates which are suited to their new skills and qualifications.
General Assembly's impact extends beyond individual job seekers. The training provider also offers technical and career coaching sessions for organizations seeking to upskill their workforce. For example, General Assembly concluded a five-day corporate training program for employees of Zain Bahrain. The training focused on the latest data analysis technologies in the telecom sector, offering a comprehensive introduction to data communication and mapping using Tableau. The participants' newly acquired skills were evaluated through a final project implementation, showcasing General Assembly's commitment to practical learning and continuous professional development.
General Assembly plans to keep a pace with the evolving landscape and offer a wide range of courses to match the most in-demand tech skills in the Kingdom.
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About General Assembly:
General Assembly’s partnership with Tamkeen forms an academy in Bahrain to reskill and upskill the Bahraini workforce in a range of tech-focused areas. The aim is to improve the skill-sets of Bahrainis so that they can become the employees of choice and drive future prosperity. General Assembly launched in Bahrain in July 2022 and operates out of Bahrain Institute of Banking and Finance (BIBF).
About Tamkeen:
Tamkeen is the Kingdom of Bahrain’s Labour Fund, established in 2006 and tasked with the responsibility of empowering Bahrainis to become employee of choice and enabling the private sector to become the key engine of economic growth, to serve the purpose of achieving sustainable economic development in Bahrain.
Tamkeen works with committed enterprises to build their capabilities and allow them to innovate, grow, transform, digitalize, become more productive, and potentially internationalise. Tamkeen also works with committed Bahraini talent to help them upskill and reskill, ensuring that they are competitive both locally and internationally.
