BAHRAIN's youth came out in force yesterday to gain first hand experience in entering the private sector as young entrepreneurs.

Around 850 young Bahrainis are taking part in the first-of-a-kind forum, organised by the Bahrain Chamber for Commerce and Industry (BCCI) and Tamkeen.

"The conference was very important because it showed the youth how to develop their skills and enhance their knowledge to become future entrepreneurs," said 18-year-old Bahraini Hussain Na'eem.

The senior student from Al Iman School said that such conferences help the youth learn about the economic developments from previous generations.

"It also clearly described the economic accomplishments and helped us understand how to build on our expectations for the future," said Hussain.

"The youth has an important role in shaping Bahrain's economy and we affect the outcomes of the society in a great deal.

"I think such forums are important to shape us into the young entrepreneurs we are, which will pay off in the future.

"I mean, look at the creator of Google, he was a teenager when he first initiated the search engine and look how it's affected the entire world."

The one-day event was attended by high school and university students, young job-seekers and young entrepreneurs.

It was held under the patronage of Royal Charity Organisation (RCO) Board of Trustees chairman and Supreme Council for Youth and Sport first vice-president Shaikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa.

The conference, entitled Steps Towards Growth, highlighted the importance of involving young people in implementing the country's Economic Vision 2030.

Among the participants was 23-year-old Shaima Fahad, who said she gained an inside look into the proceedings of becoming an entrepreneur.

"It gave the youth a set plan to follow and taught them certain skills on how to build a successful business so they can be able to reach their goals," said the Era Projects employee.

"The youth is the future of the country and they play a great role in shaping up its economy, so they are in need of such conferences to gain experience and knowledge."

Develop

Shaima's older sister, Manar Fahad, was also a participant in the conference, which helped her develop her abilities in running her home business.

The 26-year-old Bahraini businesswoman is hoping the forum will add to her business skills and help her reach her ultimate goals.

"Such conferences help build the future of tomorrow, which is the youth and for people like me who are starting up their own business it has given me great insights on how to improve my business and develop it further," she said.

"In order for the youth to prosper in the private sector, they need to hold on to their goals and ambitions and work hard to make them a reality.

"Self confidence plays a key role as well because with the tools we learned at the forum and the power of one's abilities we can reach our ambitions."

Manar's home-based business is designing a line for women, including abayas, jewellery, accessories and handicrafts.

"My business is in the initial stages at the moment and its based at my house until I get a firm feet on the ground and receive the much needed funds and support to expand it," she said.

"I eventually want to open up a mall for women which contain all their requirements in the shopping area. It would be a place where they can visit, shop and get everything they need."

Meanwhile, 18-year-old high school student Khalid Al Hiddi said the conference was all about making the right choices in life.

"We are the future and it showed us how to make the right choices in taking the right path," said the Sanabil School senior.

Organisers said the goals of the forum were to shed light on young entrepreneurs' expectations, the challenges they face and help push them into the business community.

The forum also aimed to encourage them into entering the private sector on their own, said Tamkeen Private Sector Support manager Mona Hatim.

"It's aimed to promote the youth in entering the private sector as entrepreneurs instead of being regular employees or waiting on the unemployment list," she said.

"It will also help them have the initiative to start their businesses, expand their horizons and act on their ideas.

"Our strategy is to implement this scheme of becoming an entrepreneur in Bahrain and to train the youth in this field."

noor@gdncom.bh