1.What are the types of support provided through the program?
- Training Support
- Wage Subsidy Support
- Wage Increment Support
2.What is the eligibility criteria for the program?
Enterprises’ eligibility criteria:
- Valid commercial registration or License (Charity Societies are not eligible)
- Operating in Bahrain
Employees’ eligibility criteria:
- Bahraini national
- Registered with SIO
3.What is the minimum salary for an employee to be enrolled in the program?
- High School Graduates (or lower): BD 300
- Diploma Holders: BD 380
- Bachelor Holders: BD 450
4.Is it mandatory to take Training and Wage Support together?
No, the Enterprise has the choice of selecting the required support type for its Employees. It is possible for any Enterprise to select the needed support type i.e. Training Only, Wage Only or Training and Wage Support.
5.Is it possible to obtain Wage Subsidy and Wage Increment support for the same Employee at the same time?
No, the Enterprise has the choice of selecting the required support type for its Employees as per the eligibility for them. It is possible for any Enterprise to select the needed support type i.e. Training Only, Wage Only or Training and Wage Support.
6.Can an Enterprise that has a CR without licenses apply?
If an Enterprise has a CR without license, it can only apply for the CR Owner for the ‘Training’ support only. However, the payment will be withheld until they have the required licenses. For the CR’s employees, the CR must be active and the employees should be registered in SIO to be able to apply for the required services based on their eligibility.
7.What are the required documents?
8.Which salary should the Enterprise input in the Employee Application, Basic or Net?
9.Are Enterprise owners eligible to benefit from this service?
Yes. However, for training support only, the Enterprise owners are not eligible for wage support. Furthermore, they may benefit again from the program after 12 months from completing the training course(s).
10.What is the criteria for an employee to be eligible for Wage Subsidy support?
The employee must either be a Fresh Graduate or a Jobseeker.
Fresh Graduates: An employee is considered a Fresh Graduate if they have 0-2 years of working experience. Also, the employee’s age should not exceed 30 years old when applying for this support
Jobseekers: An Employee is considered a Jobseeker if they were registered with the Ministry of Labour.
11.What is the level of Wage Subsidy support for these segments?
12.What is the Wage Increment support model?
The Enterprise will be able to select the required wage increase starting from a minimum of BD 20 up to BD 250 (maximum increment 40% of current salary)
13.How long is the wage support period for the Wage Increment?
14.What happens at the end of the 12 months Wage Increment period?
If the enterprise wishes to obtain support for an additional 12 months, they must increase the employee’s salary again. Tamkeen will support the old and new increment for 12 months (The salary in SIO needs to be updated to match the new salary with the old increment).
15.What if the employee’s current salary is below the minimum wage criteria and the enterprise wishes to apply for Wage Increment support?
The enterprise may apply to increase the employee’s salary up to the set minimum salary, hence they would be eligible to apply (e.g. Current salary 280, required increment 20 BD, new salary = 300 for High School Graduate).
16.What is the Wage Increment Support percentage for different salary levels?
Tamkeen’s Wage increment support is a percentage of the required increment. This is based on the salary of the Employee. Below are the support percentages for each level limits (all capped at BD 250):
- BD 1,000 and below =100% increment support
- BD 1,001 to 2,000 = 50% increment support
- BD 2,001 to 3,000 = 25% increment support
17.Where should the Wage Increment be reflected in the Employee’s Salary?
The wage increment must be reflected in the Basic Salary of the employee as per the Wage Increment schedule issued at the time of confirmation.
18.For Wage Increment is it mandatory to update the salary with SIO?
Yes, it is mandatory to update the employee’s salary to reflect the wage increment. The salary must be updated in the next consecutive SIO salary update window (January to February).
19.What if the Enterprise misses the update window?
If the salary is not updated during the SIO salary update window, Tamkeen will not process the payment requests for that employee.
20.How is the Training Support determined?
Training Support is determined based on the required Training Courses. Each training course has a fixed support amount determined by Tamkeen. If the Enterprise knows the required training course for its Employee(s) they can select the required course at the Employee Application Stage.
21.Can the employee be enrolled in multiple courses at the same time?
No, the employee can only be enrolled in one course at a time. Upon completion of this course, they can be enrolled in another one.
22.Can the Enterprise obtain support for overseas courses?
Yes, the Enterprise can obtain support for overseas courses. The Enterprise can request to add the course through the Tamkeen portal once they login to the TWS portal. Reimbursements for these courses will be made 100% upon completion.
23.What expenses are covered for overseas training?
The expenses covered are:
- Training Course Fees
- Flight Tickets
- Visa
- Accommodation
- Health Insurance
- Per Diem
The exact support caps for these items will be set and shared with the Enterprise upon approval.
24.Can the Enterprise obtain support for online courses?
Yes, the Enterprise can obtain support for online courses. The Enterprise can request to add the course through the Tamkeen portal once they login to the TWS portal. Reimbursements for these courses will be made 100% upon completion.
25.Can the Enterprise apply for an Employee who has completed the required training course but has yet to complete the exam?
In case the Employee has attended the required course but has yet to complete the exam, they can obtain training support however this will be at their own risk (i.e. Tamkeen may or may not approved the requested training course) and they must provide proof that they have not attended the exam at the time of application.