INJAZ Bahrain, in collaboration with the Labour Fund (Tamkeen) and Bahrain Institute of Banking and Finance (BIBF), has launched the unique “Tech Valley” programme to support young Bahraini talents to navigate the next wave of technologies and prepare them for their future in a digital age. Digital literacy skills can also be paired with developing soft skills such as critical thinking and numeracy skills in order to develop a strong “digital citizenship” among students.
Tech Valley is a three-week programme focused on engaging high school students in hands-on, project-based learning to be successful in careers in technology. Students who successfully complete the programme receive well-rounded tech-related knowledge with Tamkeen’s full support of the programme. The idea is to provide a direct path from high school to college to career to ensure a steady pipeline of educated professionals.
“Tech Valley” is a stepping-stone and a guidance to select university specialisations required in the market, and to use the acquired knowledge for continuous improvement.
The programme introduces future innovators to five learning tracks, starting from understanding new digital transformation concepts to learning how to accelerate their knowledge with design thinking. Topics include cloud computing, big data and data science, machine learning and artificial intelligence, Blockchain, the Internet of Things,
Participants will also learn how to design their own Infographics to best showcase information and boost their communication skills. The programme wraps up with a team-based Hackathon to apply the acquired modules on the Bahraini ecosystem.
Her Highness Shaikha Hessa bint Khalifa Al Khalifa, INJAZ Bahrain Chairperson, commented on the program, stating: “We believe that students need to understand the basics of emerging technology in order to thrive in the modern digital age and this program educates students in this respect. We are very excited to be partnering with Tamkeen and The BIBF on this unique program and we would like to express our gratitude for their continued support towards INJAZ Bahrain and its mission in empowering the youth to succeed in the global economy.”
For his part, Tamkeen’s Chief Executive Dr Ebrahim Mohammed Janahi praised this programme as an important initiative towards fostering students’ skills in digital transformation, addressing any skills gap, and meeting the changing requirements of the labour market.
“Developing the human resources skills in trends and areas of growing interest increases student’s competitiveness in the job market,” he said.
“Digital transformation is now a crucial requirement in every aspect of our national economic growth as well as the world, and Tamkeen’s support to improve people’s skills in this field comes in line with Bahrain’s Economic Vision 2030 goals for continued economic development.”
On this occasion, BIBF’s Director Dr. Ahmed Al Shaikh, stated, “We are very proud to be part of this initiative as a Knowledge Partner, to encourage students to take a more creative approach in all aspects of their lives and to gain the necessary digital skills to launch their future. Today’s students are digital natives and are more comfortable adapting to new technologies than the older generation. Across all industries, digital skills are required in the majority of roles and companies want to hire graduates that have knowledge of digital technologies and platforms.”
In addition, as part of the programme, a hackathon will be held in collaboration with Brinc Batelco towards the end of the programme.