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Gulf's
first polytechnic opens in Bahrain
Indo-Asian News
Service
Dubai,
Sep 22 (IANS) The Gulf's first polytechnic, Bahrain Polytechnic,
has opened its doors to 240 students.
The
new institute will complement the role of higher education
colleges and universities providing an applied and industry-focussed
vocational education and giving students professional skills
aligned with market needs, a statement issued by the polytechnic
said.
"The
Bahrain Polytechnic addresses the pressing skills gap currently
in the GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council)," Sheikh Mohammed
Bin Essa Al-Khalifa, chief executive of Bahrain's Economic
Development Board (EDB), said in the statement.
Bahrain,
Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates
(UAE) form the GCC.
"Graduates
of the facility will be equipped to provide a range of technical
skills to support our diverse economy such as Bahrain's booming
manufacturing sector. We are proud to host the only polytechnic
in the GCC which shows Bahrain's continued commitment to,
and leadership in, education and training," Al-Khalifa
added.
The
240 students were selected from 1,200 applicants for the various
courses on offer at the polytechnic in Bahrain University's
Isa Town campus.
Programmes
that are being offered include business studies, accounting,
finance, marketing, advertising, management and economics,
international business, information technology, civil and
mechanical engineering, and health sciences.
The
courses are being offered as either a two-year diploma programme
providing vocational skills directly applicable to the job
market or a four-year bachelor's programme providing more
advanced professional skills.
Graduating students will be able to enter the workforce immediately
on passing out, according to the statement.
"Now,
with the opening of the only polytechnic in the region, universities
can focus on providing academic programs whilst the polytechnic
can focus on providing first class professional and applied
education," Al-Khalifa said.
Owned
and funded by the government, the Bahrain Polytechnic is part
of the National Reform Initiative of the EDB.
Bahrain
was the first country in the Gulf to provide publicly funded
education for both boys and girls.
Education
is compulsory and free for the country's entire population
and Bahrain's literacy rate stands at 85 percent.
Indo-Asian
News Service
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