BAHRAIN needs more than 2,000 qualified network professionals by next year, a study has revealed.

Estimates put the number of information technology professionals at 5,100, said Bahrain Training Institute (BTI) IT Academy head Wael Salman.

However, he said more are needed and BTI, through an agreement with the Labour Fund, is seeking to train 100 Bahrainis.

Fifty of them are high school graduates, while the remaining are bachelor's degrees holders in IT Engineering and Computer Science.

He said the agreement with the Labour Fund was made on the basis of a study on the needs of the labour market.

The study found that there was an urgent need for network professionals, particularly with the rapid increase in network infrastructure in Bahrain.

The Labour Fund is paying full cost of the programme, while BTI will take responsibility of placing graduates in jobs through its Graduates Recruitment Centre. BTI has been accredited by the CISCO Networking Academy.