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Press Release.

The Labour Fund (Tamkeen) announced the graduation of the first cohort of the Cyber Security Training Program in partnership with SANS Institute, which spanned eight months and provided specialized training delivered by experts in the field. The graduates also received two Global Information Assurance Certifications (GIAC) upon completing the program.

The first cohort of the program proved to be highly successful, with 25% of the graduates securing on-the-job training and employment opportunities in local and international companies including Beyon Cyber.

Furthermore, a number of the graduates will get the opportunity to build their knowledge and expertise with global experiences by joining world-renowned companies such as ZEN Data through Tamkeen’s Global Ready Talent program.

The program is delivered by SANS Institute, the world-leading provider of cybersecurity training and education, and enables participants to gain the knowledge and skills required to enter the field and specialize in it through a practical and hands-on approach thus ensuring their readiness to utilize these skills in a real work environment immediately after graduation.

On this occasion, Her Excellency, Ms. Maha Mofeez, Chief Executive of the Labour Fund (Tamkeen) celebrated the high-quality outcome of the training program, highlighting how it caters to the current demands of the labor market in light of the rapid shift towards digital transformation and technology adoption, which makes cybersecurity and data protection a priority for all organizations.

She added: “This partnership stems from our commitment to providing national talent with the training and development required to secure high value job opportunities locally and internationally within high potential sectors. We look forward to reaping more positive outcomes from the upcoming cohorts of the program”

In addition, Mr. Ned Baltagi, Managing Director, Middle East and Africa at SANS Institute, stated: “With 40% of students scoring over 90% in their GSEC and GCIH exams and 82% and 86% passing their respective exams on the first attempt, this program is truly providing students with the skills and knowledge they need to succeed in the cybersecurity field. Our students are highly prepared and ready to make an impact in the cybersecurity industry.”

For his part, Mr. Abubakar Arshad, Chief Technology Officer at Beyon Cyber, stated: “Beyon Cyber has benefited immensely from Tamkeen’s Cyber security program. The graduates from this program have gained significant hands-on knowledge from the program and are job ready from day one. This is a great initiative for country wide capacity building.”

Mr. Ali AlAnjawi a recent graduate who has since been employed in the Telecommunications sector said: “The program provided a solid foundation for entering the cybersecurity field through strong material delivered by experts. I also greatly benefited from the networking opportunities facilitated by the SANS career fairs which helped me understand the requirements and expectations of employers seeking to recruit cybersecurity professionals.”

It is worth mentioning that Tamkeen announced its partnership with SANS Institute last year with the purpose of training hundreds of Bahrainis in cybersecurity skills which are among the most sought-after skills globally.

This partnership aims to close the cybersecurity skill gap in the Bahraini market, which will contribute to creating quality job opportunities with significant potential for career growth for the Bahraini workforce in various sectors such as financial services, information technology, telecommunications, and manufacturing. This will cater to the rising demand for specialists in the cybersecurity field for governments and private sector organizations both locally and internationally.

Furthermore, SANS Institute recently opened applications for the second cohort of the program here and will close applications by Saturday, 4th of March, 2023.

This initiative is in line with Tamkeen’s strategic objectives for the year which focus on four key priorities: facilitating the increased economic participation of Bahrainis, providing training that is aligned with the labor market needs in new and emerging skills, as well as enterprise and ecosystem development, all of which drive positive economic impact and sustainable growth.

During the past year, Tamkeen supported approximately 4.1K enterprises across different sectors and growth stages through its various support programs, with 71% of enterprises supported to train and employ national talent. Tamkeen also worked proactively to attract applications from high potential businesses which led to an increase of 21% in quality job opportunities supported, therefore providing over 10K job opportunities and 8.4K training opportunities for Bahrainis to facilitate participation in the labor market.