Organised in conjunction with Tamkeen, the programme recruited 60 young Bahrainis – 20 secondary school graduates and 40 National Diploma who will undergo a two-year training programme in various aspects of Alba operations.
The programme was inaugurated by Alba’s Chief Executive Officer, Tim Murray and also present were Chief Operations Officer, Isa Al Ansari, Chairman of Alba Labour Union, Ali Al Binali and Training and Recruitment Manager, Rawdha Salman Al Aradi.
Alba’s Vocational Training Programme is designed to empower trainees with technical and practical skills, and provide them with hands-on training in maintenance and smelter operations, thus increasing their employment opportunities. On successful completion of the programme, trainees will have the choice of opting for a relevant position within Alba.
The programme will include classroom and practical training as well as on-job training at designated sites in the plant. Training will be delivered by qualified and experienced instructors, and by senior experts at the work site.
“Our position as one of the world’s largest single-site smelters is the result of the hard work and dedication of our workforce, 87% of which are Bahrainis. Alba’s Vocational Training Programme is one of our major initiatives to support Bahrainisation and has been effectively designed for Bahraini nationals to develop necessary skills and technical knowledge to be leaders, and also inspiring them to look at aluminium industry as a preferred career option. The programme has been very successful in the past as many trainees have been recruited into the Alba workforce with some of them occupying top management positions in the company,” Alba’s Chief Operations Officer, Isa Al Ansari, said.
Tamkeen is a semi-autonomous yet independent authority responsible for formulating strategic and operational plans to enhance the overall prosperity of Bahrain by investing in Bahraini employability, job creation and social support. Applicants for the VT Programme need to be Bahraini nationals under 25 years of age, and require a minimum national diploma or equivalent qualification in the field of engineering.