Training
& Development
At Alba, we recognise the importance of world-class training and development of human assets to be a leader in the industry. While most organisations invest in strategic planning to adapt to the changing needs of their business, it is just as important to ensure that our employees grow and succeed.
Since the very beginning of our operations, we have been committed to provide Bahraini nationals with valuable skills and knowledge to reach their full potential as well as offer meaningful career opportunities to grow. This is also part of our commitment to the successful nationalization initiatives as laid out in Bahrain Economic Vision 2030.
Developing our workforce rests on the Company’s Training & Development Department which has been creating a positive and nurturing environment within and outside the Company for more than fifty years. We ensure the development of our nationals through a comprehensive range of training programmes, development initiatives, educational opportunities and workshops that allow them to become the very best in their field.
Alba has, thus far, set precedents in employee development winning it many accolades and making it an employer of choice in the Region.
With a firm belief that we can always do more than necessary, Alba has been steadily working on developing its employees through intensive training programmes and leadership skills workshops to create the best level of teamwork and alignment. Our systematic training and development programme for the Bahraini employees, both generic and tailor-made, have helped create an exceptional work environment where employees are able to develop skills that match the very best in the world
Throughout 2022, Alba focused on training programmes, which addressed a wide range of competencies from technical, safety, health, and environment to management, leadership, language, communication, business, and professional education
Out of a total of 95 courses delivered to Al Jisr employees, 5 were management courses, 52 were new technical courses developed in house by Instructors and others were regular courses. Out of a total of 136 training courses of the Master Training Plan, 76 were new courses.
For 2022, a total of 96 employees were enrolled in Diploma, BSc and MBA Programmes in some of world class institutes such as Nasser Vocational Training Centre (NVTC), Bahrain Polytechnic (BP), Kingdom University (KU), Arab Open University (AOU), Applied Science University (ASU), University of Technology Bahrain (UTB) (AMA University previously), Arabian Gulf University (AGU)/ESSEC - FABS, American University of Bahrain (AUBH), University of Huddersfield and University of Manchester.
60 Electrical Engineers were trained and certified on ‘18th Edition Certificate for Electrical Installation (BS7671:2018 +A2:2022)’ by GTEC, UK and certification test by City & Guilds and 15 employees were certified by CASUGOL as ‘Certified Digital Transformation Professional (CDTP)’, including the Chief Supply Officer, Director OPEX and 3 Managers from OPEX & Supply Chain
It is noteworthy that Alba achieved 599,252 Training Hours and a company-wide 6.6% of Total Work Hours were allocated to employee-capacity building activities in 2022 – which is well above the industry’s average rate of 5%
Alba remained one of the biggest contributors to voluntary teaching in the community in Bahrain. Alba and INJAZ Bahrain, a non-profit organisation that trains and develops Bahraini nationals, have a long-standing and interactive partnership in various aspects to develop Bahraini Human Capital. Through this collaboration, we look forward to creating high-impact learning experiences to prepare future business leaders. Alba has been continuously conducting tailor-made courses for INJAZ students on various subjects to include Environment, Social and Governance (ESG), Health and Safety, as well as Public Speaking. In 2022, 38 Alba volunteers delivered trainings to various schools and ministries, while 28 different training programs were delivered to the community.
Alba was a proud recipient of the Volunteer Service Award by INJAZ Bahrain for the second year in a row, contributing 491 Volunteering Hours in 2021-2022 and 482 Volunteering Hours. in 2020-2021
As one of the leading companies in Bahrain and the region, Alba takes pride in its extraordinary female workforce and the role they actively play in Alba. It is the Company’s mission to build the skills and confidence amongst women through the Equal Opportunities Committee which has seen the percentage of female employees in supervisory-level and above positions stand at 41% out of Alba’s total female workforce.
Alba today is the world’s largest smelter ex-China, the credit of which goes to its 3,100-plus workforce comprising employees and contractors’ personnel.
We are building on the successes we have achieved last year, and we are gearing to achieve our 2023 Objectives. Some areas that we intend to focus on are NEBOSH certification of SHE practitioners in Alba as well as Supervisors in Operations and Maintenance areas; increasing training of Alba employees on ESG fronts; delivering more courses in-house by Alba training faculty and field specialists; implementing VR (Virtual Reality) project for the training of potline operators; delivering 2023 Master Training Plan for the development of every employee; adopt Hybrid Training model wherever possible; and continue to encourage and enrol more employees in various academic education fields.
Learning experiences are journeys we invest in Alba. The journey starts today where the learning is now and ends when the employee is more successful. Alba primary focus - for its employees - is not only about knowing more but also do more; this is how we would like to contribute to the sustainable growth and development of Bahrain.