MANAMA, BAHRAIN – 16 October 2023 – Ithmaar Bank, a Bahrain-based Islamic retail bank, continued its long-standing tradition of hosting its Ithmaar Energy and Ithmaar Guide internship programmes. The internship programmes, which are being developed as part of the Bank’s strategies and plans to achieve its Environmental, Social, and Governance goals, are designed to help prepare future banking professionals in Islamic banking industry. The programmes provide participants the opportunity to experience, first hand, working environment and enhance their communication and time management skills as well as provide them with practical and technical experience in order to increase their opportunity to be employed in the labour market in line with the Bahrain Vision 2030 to empower Bahrainis, making them the first choice of employment.
Ithmaar Energy is designed for fresh graduates as it provides them with the opportunity to develop their skills and utilise their capabilities and ambitions through practical experience in banking environment as well as providing them with access and authority to perform their job similarly to actual employees in the Bank.
Ithmaar Guide, which is designed for younger candidates, especially high school students, aims to provide participants with an outline, practical experience, and guidance to help them make a right decision to choose their academic programme. This is done through a comprehensive programme that is designed to enable them greater knowledge about all departments in the Bank and allow participants to complete some tasks in each department as well as equip them with specialised training courses to learn more about the work environment in an Islamic Bank and guide them in line with their ambitions to meet their future academic aspiration.
“Being one of the Islamic banking pioneers, Ithmaar Bank has always played a vital and effective role in supporting various activities and social initiatives,” said Ithmaar Bank Head of Enterprise Support Services and Sustainability, Einas Raheemi. “This includes continuous investment in Bahraini youth as it contributes directly to help maintain Bahrain’s position as a major financial hub in the Middle East,” she said.
“Ithmaar Bank recognises its important role and responsibility to support youth talent through internship programmes that aim to develop their professional capabilities and increase their chances to swiftly find a job opportunity,” said Raheemi. “Through these programmes, Ithmaar Bank gives the priority to its talented and qualified interns to be hired by the Bank when there is a vacancy. Therefore, the Bahrainisation in 2023 at Ithmaar Bank has reached 95 percent and has reached 93 percent at the executive management level. This high percentage is due to the Bank’s continuous efforts to develop national cadres and the Bank’s employees to hold senior management positions and set an effective internal plan to invest in Bahrainis to be the employee of choice at the Bank as well as in the banking sector,” she said.