Construction work on a BD1 million ($.378 million) National Institute for Industrial Training (NIIT) is expected to be completed by year-end.

The institute is on target to open its doors to trainees in the first quarter of next year, NIIT board chairman Emad Almoayed told our sister publication Gulf Daily News.

NIIT is a closed Bahraini shareholding company with 53 shareholders from the industrial and construction sector that aims to fulfill the training needs of industry employers.

The overall objective is to deliver employer-led vocational skills training for Bahrain and the Gulf region to enhance workforce skills and satisfy specified employer training needs. The emphasis will be on "hands-on" practical skills training including on-the-job training.

Programmes will be externally accredited from bodies which come under the umbrella of the Qualifications Curriculum Authority of the UK.

The institute is being built by Ebrahim Abdulaal Group of Companies and consists of an administrative block with classrooms, staff work areas and a free-standing workshop.

"The institute is the first of its kind in the Gulf, there are some government-owned training centres, but this is the first to be owned by more than one industry," said Mr Almoayed.

"We will start by providing training in welding and fabrications, machinery, car repair and air conditioning - this is the core training we will start with before we branch out.

"We are concentrating on providing multi-skill training because that's the future. We want Bahrainis and non-Bahraini to have a whole array of skills in industry and then we will provide training according to the market needs.

"We are hoping that our shareholders will use the facility and others industries in the country, because smaller industries don't have the money to build their own training centres."

Mr Almoayed was speaking on the sidelines of NIIT's first annual general meeting held at the training facility site located within the Bahrain International Investment Park, Hidd Industrial Area. – TradeArabia News Service