Conference to study mobility of labour force

A regional conference on vocational training aimed at promoting Bahrainisation and mobility of the labour force begins here next Saturday at the Holiday Inn Conference Centre.

"Human resources specialists from all over the Gulf countries will be attending the three-day conference which is mainly aimed at policy-makers, human resources development professionals, human resources managers, trainers, researchers and all others involved in all aspects of training," noted Dr Mohammed Abdulla Sharif, the conference coordinator.

He explained that the conference plans to promote the induction of Bahrainis into the workforce and mobility of the labour force through a "National Vocational Qualifications System" which is an internationally recognised system.

Organised by the Bahrain Training Institute, the event will have six sessions during the first two days of the conference and a special working groups and feedback session during the final day.

One of the main speakers will be John Hillier, former Chief Executive of the National Council for Vocational Qualifications in the UK, who will be presenting a paper outlining the National Vocational Qualifications system and its advantages over other such systems.

Dr Naji Ahmed Al Mahdi, Director of the Bahrain Training Institute, will present two papers dealing with the need for a regionally understood and recognised qualification structure and detailing strategies for moving vocational qualifications forward.