Alba's ambitious expansion project is providing tremendous training opportunities for young Bahrainis who are being equipped with the necessary skills and know-how needed to work in the construction sector, said a top official.
Alba CEO Bruce Hall made the remarks at a ceremony to honour a group of Bahrainis who completed a major training programme at the smelter.
The 'Training for Bahrain' programme is an initiative jointly organised by Alba, the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs, Bechtel and the contractors involved in the Line 5 Project.
Aluminium Bahrain honoured the third batch of its 'Training for Bahrain' graduates at the event held at the Alba Sports Club in Riffa, under the patronage of Oil Minister and Alba chairman Shaikh Isa bin Ali Al Khalifa.
The event was attended by Abdul Elah Al Qassimi, assistant undersecretary for Training from the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs, as well as other senior officials from the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs.
Other attendees at the event included the Alba management team, representatives from Bechtel, the Line 5 contractors, the graduates and their families.
During the ceremony, 128 graduates were awarded with certificates for the successful completion of their training programme.
Bruce Hall said that the programme had produced 447 graduates so far.
The 'Training for Bahrain' initiative is the first of its kind to be introduced in Bahrain and aims to facilitate the employment of unskilled and unemployed Bahrainis by creating a pool of qualified workers for the local construction industry.
Bruce Hall congratulated the graduates for their achievements and conveyed his appreciation to the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs, Bechtel and the Line 5 contractors for their hard work in ensuring that this programme becomes a success.
'We are proud to be presenting these young Bahrainis with their certificates as they are the future of Bahrain and from today onwards, they are to play a key role in the development of the Kingdom,' said Hall.
'It makes us even prouder that these youngsters similar to the ones that graduated before and the ones who will graduate in the future, have demonstrated great potential in this challenging field and have proved their desire to develop their skills and actively contribute to this country.'
'This programme would not have seen such progress if it wasn't for the intense cooperation between Alba, the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs, Bechtel the local contractors involved in the Line 5 Project and of course, the trainees themselves and I would like to take this opportunity to convey my appreciation to Labour and Social Affairs Minister Dr Majeed Bin Mohsen Al Alawi and the Ministry personnel for their genuine support and heartfelt involvement in this national scheme,' said Hall.
'I would also like to commend Bechtel and the local contractors for the efforts they have exerted in ensuring the highest quality of training is provided for this initiative.'
As part of this scheme, Bahrainis are trained for periods of between three to six months in various construction crafts, involving theoretical, practical and on-the-job training at the actual Line 5 construction site and within the work-premises of the contractors.
Trainees are paid a monthly allowance during their training stint and upon the completion of their training period, the successful graduates are provided with employment opportunities by the contractors undertaking the construction of Line 5.
Abdul Elah Al Qassimi, Assistant Undersecretary for Training from the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs, said:
'It gives me great pleasure to see the number of participants soaring month by month and I am proud of the Bahraini youth who continue to express eagerness in developing their vocational skills and expanding their horizons despite<