NOCN Group is an international charity delivering future-fit skills solutions to Colleges, training providers, employers and individuals in the UK, India, Africa, ASEAN, Europe, the Gulf, South Asia and other international territories. These solutions include Qualifications, Apprenticeship End Point Assessment, Assured Courses, Competence Cards & Tests (including CPCS; the Construction Plant Competence Scheme), and Short Online Courses specialising in areas where there are the greatest skills needs including construction, engineering, green skills, and preparation for life & work.

We have been steadily growing our presence in the Arab States of the Gulf (GCC) for a number of years and now have 45 approved Centres across four countries (Bahrain, KSA, Qatar & UAE) with a 70% increase in learner registrations in the last financial year.

Bahrain ranks second in the GCC and 35th globally in workforce skills, reflecting its dedication to training, as highlighted by the Human Development Index 2022. Aligning with the UN Sustainable Development Goals, Bahrain focuses on enhancing workforce skills to meet evolving labour market demands, addressing skills gaps through specialised programs, such as critical thinking and innovation. (Source)

Skills Bahrain is an initiative that seeks to fill the skills gap of local talent resulting from the constant changes and development in the labour market, raising the competitiveness of the individual in line with current and future market needs. Skills Bahrain works closely with employers, education & training providers, and government stakeholders, to bridge the skills gap by providing its stakeholders with the essential knowledge, sector-specific data, and necessary tools.

Here, we meet our Bahrain team to find out more about their work in this important international territory – and what the UK can learn from it:

Our Regional Director Ebrahim Radhi enables Training Institutes, Universities, and Schools to achieve their vision in creating a world-class education through NOCN qualifications and strategic methodologies. Sheena Myrrh Valencia, our Business Administration Manager, supports clients with procedures and processes to ensure they get the most out of our skills solutions. She is also our sector coordinator for SEND qualifications. Our Construction Business Development Manager, Sayed Mohamed Hasan, promotes best practices in the construction industry through NOCN qualifications, and our Business Development Manager Katrina Canosa works to grow our client base in the country to enable them to continually meet the ever-changing needs of the GCC market through NOCN qualifications.

Q: NOCN Group has been operating in Bahrain for nine years now, tell us about how our presence in the GCC region has grown and developed?

A: NOCN Group has grown greatly from having Jafcon as our pioneer Centre in 2015 to having more than 40+ Centres to date, not only in Bahrain but expanding to United Arab Emirates, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and Qatar – and our team is also expanding to support this growing demand.

Q: Why do you think these Centres in GCC choose to work with NOCN Group?
A: As a charitable organisation with a focus on productivity, social mobility, inclusivity and fair economic growth, NOCN Group is aligned with the vision of the region in producing the most qualified professionals in different sectors. NOCN Group exhibits thorough understanding of the market that allows our clients to build opportunities through networking and project collaboration.

Q: How does NOCN Group support ‘Skills Bahrain’ in its mission to fill skills gaps locally?
A: As an official support of the Skill Bahrain initiative, NOCN Group works in collaboration with its parent organisation Tamkeen and the Ministry of Labour to ensure safety and the highest quality of practices in the various trades that our qualifications are mapped to. This means that skills advancement in the country is future-fit and globally-recognised.

Q: As a nation Bahrain has a reputation for educational excellence, with a big focus on inclusivity, fostering an environment where everyone can thrive - can you give us examples of where NOCN Group promotes and supports this approach?
A: In Bahrain, as in everywhere NOCN Group works globally, we have inclusivity as a core value and support it by ensuring that all our skills solutions meet the diverse needs of learners, leaving no-one behind. We even have specific inclusivity qualifications and modules embedded into some of our programmes.

Q: Education in KSA, UAE and Qatar is recognised for its commitment to bilingualism - how does NOCN Group support this?
A: NOCN Group is highly regarded internationally for its Functional Skills qualifications which build foundation, gateway skills for those entering the workplace or upskilling/reskilling into new professions. This includes ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) which enables learners to gain the skills needed to pursue work or studies in English-speaking countries and operate in multi-cultural, global settings.