A new campaign that aims to overhaul the image of the Labour Fund will get underway next month.

More than 1,600 Bahrainis have so far entered training schemes backed by the fund since it was launched two years ago to help fight unemployment, our sister publication, the Gulf Daily News has learnt.

However, it has already announced its new brand name Tamkeen - meaning 'empower' - and is now about to embark on a nationwide marketing campaign.

'We shall still use the word Labour Fund in legal papers, but will firmly establish the new brand name,' acting chief executive Abdulellah Al Qassimi told the GDN.

'The new brand name and logo feature Tamkeen as a semi-autonomous yet independent authority, which formulates strategic and operational plans to enhance the overall prosperity of Bahrain by investing in Bahraini employability, job creation and socio-economic support.'

The Labour Fund was established to equip jobless Bahrainis with the skills they need to succeed in the workplace, thus helping tackle unemployment and the social issues that come with it - such as poverty.

Eighty per cent of the money collected by the Labour Market Regulatory Authority (LMRA), which levees fees on foreign workers, pays for the training of the local population provided by the fund.

Under its new name the fund will be marketed as an empowering body that is helping achieve the socio-economic goals of the nation.

'It aims to support Bahrainis to become the employees of choice, as well as provide high quality support to the private sector in Bahrain to create job opportunities for nationals and cope with the impact of labour market reforms,' said Al Qassimi.

'To date, through our programmes, 1,635 Bahrainis have entered the training cycle for various sectors such as healthcare, aeronautics, hospitality, accounting and finance, retail, IT and HR professional programmes.'

He added that Bahrainis who had so far benefited from the scheme had gone on to find work in healthcare, aeronautics, hospitality, accounting and finance, retail, IT and human resources.

'The move to make ourselves known as Tamkeen arises out of the increasing clarity that we are bringing to our work as enablers and empowering agents of social and economic progress in Bahrain,' said  Al Qassimi.

'The new name embraces these core values that the Labour Fund stands for and is a clear indicator of the direction in which we are going.'

Al Qassimi said officials were now working closely with the Social Development Ministry and the Supreme Council for Women to enable and empower individuals with special needs and women to enter the labour force.

In addition, around BD3 million has been invested in an Enterprise Development Support programme, which grants small and medium-sized companies access to consultancy services - helping them restructure, absorb new technology and administrative practices. - TradeArabia News Service