The National Institute of Industrial Training (NIIT) is in the process of increasing its workshop space, a move that will enable it to increase the intake of trainees for short- and long-term courses.

Dr Hashim Hashim, director of NIIT, said around 200 trainees do long-term courses in a year and about 800 do the shorter ones. The institute is investing an initial amount of BD250,000 to improve the facilities.

The director also said NIIT plans to explore other GCC markets starting with Saudi Arabia for admissions into its courses. “We’re recognized by industry in Bahrain and there’s public awareness about our operations. We are building brand recognition across the GCC region,” the official said.

Dr Hashim: looking for growth

“Due to our professionalism and flexibility, we’ve diversified into new fields such as oil and gas operations. We’re investing in courses in  instrumentation, chemical engineering, field operations and process control.”

The short-term courses last from a few hours to a few weeks and are tailor-made to suit employers’ requirements. They include programmes in mechanical and electrical maintenance, health and safety, work ethics, time management and the writing of technical reports. Alba has participated in NIIT’s short-term courses as have several other iconic companies and SMEs.

Programmes of longer duration are meant for career job-seekers and run from nine months to two years. Training for the long courses is provided up to the higher national certificate level.

The institute is currently running long courses for Asry, Tatweer and MTQ. The Asry ASRY trainees are being taught electrical and mechanical engineering, fabrication and welding. Tatweer apprentices are being groomed for the oil and gas field and receiving instruction in electrical and mechanical engineering and operations. MTQ trainees are learning welding, mechanical engineering and fabrication specifically for the oil and gas field. Additionally a good number of apprentices from car dealerships are training to be auto technicians.

Long courses currently in the pipeline are for trainees of Ameeri industries (electrical, fabrication and welding) and Bahrain Steel (mechanical engineering, chemistry, operations and instrumentation).

NIIT has had longstanding training relationships with prominent companies including Asry, Tatweer, Mohammed Fakhro and Bros, YK Almoayyed and AK Almoayed, EK Kanoo, AA Bin Ali, Al Zayani, National Motors and Behbehani Bros.

Al Noory: developments on the way

Ali Al Noory, business development manager, explained how admissions to the long courses are conducted.

“We examine the requirements of companies and construct a training programme. It then gets sponsorship from the Bahrain labour fund Tamkeen or the Ministry of Labour. Next we advertise and invite students to join the programme. The employer then selects the trainees, who are granted a contract, and on successful completion of the course they become eligible for employment.

“While we train the students we consider employment as the key factor. All the students have a conditional contract.”

Many of the institute’s graduates have moved up the ladder becoming managers, team leaders and supervisors. One of them, employed by EK Kanoo, was declared Bahrain’s champion auto technician and won an award at the GCC level.

NIIT’s premises at the Bahrain International Investment Park

The institute has a programme called EMS (engineering multiskills programme) and most companies in Bahrain have participated in it.

NIIT recently became the first industrial training institute in Bahrain to win an international recognition in quality when the International Organisation for Standardisation awarded it the ISO 9001:2008 accolade. The standard provides guidance and tools for companies and organisations who want to ensure that their products and services consistently meet customers’ requirements, and that quality is consistently improved.

It also received another standard, OHSAS 18001:2007 on health and safety. The standard looks closely into the readiness of training workshops and that of the staff against a set of high parameters.

All certificates granted by the NIIT are accredited by Edexcel – the highest accreditation body in Britain.

NIIT is a private organisation with 53 shareholders among whom are distinguished industrialists.