Return on Expectations of Jobseekers’ Training in the Employability Skills Program of Bahrain

Abstract

The author of this chapter delved into existing literature concerning two independent variables that may or may not affect the dependent variable that is the main focus of the dissertation. The two independent variables are jobseekers’ marketability to the labor market and Employer’s expectations of the Employability Skills Program of Bahrain. The dependent variable is the degree of effectiveness of the aforementioned Program. Newly presented studies in peer reviewed journals imply that employability skills (or soft skills) are considered an absolute necessity by many Employers around the world. Furthermore, previous works point toward a positive relationship between acquiring the required employability skills and getting employed. It is also apparent that, at present, Employers are generally unsatisfied with the level of soft skillsets fresh university graduates are offering during the candidates selection process. However, there exists a noticeable literature gap (considering work done since 2017) concerning the effectiveness of vocational qualifications that offer employability skills programs tailored by internationally recognized awarding bodies. The Kingdom of Bahrain’s Ministry of Labour and Social Development follows this path for the benefit of its registered jobseekers. The author aims to contribute to the existing literature by performing the necessary analytical exercises to test the relationship between the aforementioned variables.