MPs Debate Training Reform as Questions Rise Over Jobs After Programmes End

TDT | Manama

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A proposed amendment to the Vocational Training Law opened a broader and more personal debate in Parliament, as MPs reflected not only on legal texts but on the lived reality of young Bahrainis searching for stable work.

The discussion took place during the Nineteenth Ordinary Session of the Fourth Annual Meeting of the Sixth Legislative Term, where members examined whether introducing a new Article 16 bis to Law No. 17 of 2007 would genuinely improve employment outcomes or simply add another layer to an already complex system.

MP Mamdouh Abbas Al Saleh cautioned that fixing specific training quotas for companies could reduce the flexibility currently available to the Ministry of Labour to respond to changing labour market needs.

Programmes

The debate quickly moved beyond the wording of the draft into the wider performance of labour market programmes. MP Ahmed Abdulwahed Qarata questioned whether the substantial funding allocated to training over the years had translated into long-term jobs, noting that some trainees return home once programme periods end.

On the other hand, MP Jalila Al Alawi shared a personal example, saying she employed a trainee from the “Forsah” programme after witnessing his development and professionalism. She described many participants as entering without experience but leaving with noticeably improved skills.

Reality

MP Basma Abdulkarim stressed that unemployment is not an abstract statistic but a daily concern for families. She called for stronger coordination between education, training and actual job creation to ensure that young Bahrainis are not trapped in cycles of temporary opportunity without lasting stability.