Press Release.
The Abdulaziz and Sara Kanoo Foundation and Canada-Based Digital Media Academy have recently celebrated the graduation ceremony of the first edition of the 1000 Tech Scholarships Program, a fully funded six-week technology scholarship to foster the development of high tech and in-demand talent in the country among Bahraini youth. The 1000 Tech Scholarships Program enables job-seeking and unemployed Bahraini youth to become job-ready for the new age careers in technology.
On this occasion, Mr. Bader Abdulaziz Kanoo, Managing Director of the Abdulaziz and Sara Kanoo Foundation said: “The growth of the digital economy is a major priority for Bahrain and this initiative comes in light of this. The aim of this initiative is to accelerate the development of the country’s talent and expertise in the ever-growing media and technology sectors.”
Nurturing and empowering advanced technology skills represents a major pillar of the nation’s strategy for building a thriving digital future driven by advances in science, knowledge, innovation, and technology. The Abdulaziz and Sara Kanoo Foundation partnered with Digital Media Academy to empower Bahraini youth with the in-demand skills required in today’s evolving job market.
Latifa Al-Khalifa, Managing Director of Digital Media Academy Bahrain, stated: “This initiative represents a major step in developing the Bahraini digital economy. The world is rapidly changing, and the fast-growing digital economy will create new types of jobs. To thrive in the ever-evolving world, we must be ready to quickly cope with the emerging trends.”
The program aims to close the gap between education and employment and empower Bahraini youth ages 18-35 with the technology skills needed to thrive in today’s digital world. The fully immersive six-week program is run in-person and offers in-demand tracks, such as: Coding and Artificial Intelligence, Game Development, Creative Design and Web Development. The program builds practical skills through project-based learning where participants are expected to work on projects and submit a capstone assignment towards the end of the six weeks to be eligible for an accredited certification.
The program was first launched in November 2022 where 50 ambitious Bahrainis successfully graduated whilst building a portfolio of their work and gaining new skills and experience. Based on the demand for the program, the two entities opened another batch of 50 participants soon thereafter. The goal is to graduate another 900 participants by 2023. The program is backed financially by the Abdulaziz and Sara Kanoo Foundation and executed by Digital Media Academy Bahrain.
