15 January 2008
MUSCAT -- The Plastics Technology Training and Development Centre (PTTDC) is expected to give a big boost to the mega projects and downstream plastics industries in Sohar by catering to their training and technology requirements.
The PTTDC will also provide Oman with a recognised testing facility and an accreditation centre for plastic products with respect to quality standards and certification.
PTTDC is also expected to address the critical needs of the sector, realise the potential of quality Omanisation and provide Omanis an opportunity for career growth and higher earning power.
Some of the major aromatics and plastic industries presently based in Sohar include the $320 million Sohar Polypropylene, the $2.5 billion Oman Petrochemical Industries, the $956 million aromatic complex, and a $230 million shipping pallets manufacturing plant. It may be recalled that the MoU to set up PTTDC had been signed by Awadh Bamkhalef, CEO of Oman and Emirates Investment Holding Company (OEIHC) and Prof S. K. Nayak, director-general of Central Institute of Plastics Engineering Technology (CIPET) on Monday.
The services and technical support of CIPET will include assistance in establishing the PTTDC, advice on educational equipment, advice in recruitment of staff and developing course curriculum for the centre.
During operations, CIPET will also assist OEIHC in identifying a suitable accreditation agency for the courses to be offered and ongoing course development.
Prof S. K. Nayak told Times of Oman that Omani officials would be visiting India to discuss the details of the project following which a 'Training-the-trainers' course would be held in India.
Awadh Bamkhalef in his comments expressed gratefulness to Indian ambassador Anil Wadhwa for expediting the administrative matters for this project.
"The PTTDC project is of national importance considering the investments being made in the plastics upstream sector. This will certainly lead to a growing processing industry with in turn necessitates the need for such institution. The project will result in technology transfer into the country raising both the knowledge and skill levels of the plastics processing sector," Bamkhalef said.
The training offered by the centre will become the cornerstone in developing the downstream industries, he added.
The critical success factor is the association with CIPET -- a premier institution in India devoted to manpower training and technical services for plastics and allied industries.
The centre will provide technical support in the form of a wide range of services like consultancy and advisory services to the existing plastics and allied industries in different fields.
These include tooling and tool repairing for practical training and handling assignments on tool design, development, manufacturing and repairing and prototype development and plastics processing. The PTTDC will also act as an incubator with potential to undertake commercial moulding assignments where entrepreneurs can learn the technical aspects of production machines and subsequently utilise the facilities as outsourcing the products by getting them moulded or produced at the centre.
The centre will also be a knowledge repository to disseminate information and provide documentation reference services in the field of plastics engineering and technology.
The following educational programmes will be offered at PTTDC: 2-year diploma in injection moulding technicians, extrusion technicians or in mould manufacturing technicians; 1-year postgraduate diploma in plastics testing and quality control and plastics engineering.
MUSCAT -- The Plastics Technology Training and Development Centre (PTTDC) is expected to give a big boost to the mega projects and downstream plastics industries in Sohar by catering to their training and technology requirements.
The PTTDC will also provide Oman with a recognised testing facility and an accreditation centre for plastic products with respect to quality standards and certification.
PTTDC is also expected to address the critical needs of the sector, realise the potential of quality Omanisation and provide Omanis an opportunity for career growth and higher earning power.
Some of the major aromatics and plastic industries presently based in Sohar include the $320 million Sohar Polypropylene, the $2.5 billion Oman Petrochemical Industries, the $956 million aromatic complex, and a $230 million shipping pallets manufacturing plant. It may be recalled that the MoU to set up PTTDC had been signed by Awadh Bamkhalef, CEO of Oman and Emirates Investment Holding Company (OEIHC) and Prof S. K. Nayak, director-general of Central Institute of Plastics Engineering Technology (CIPET) on Monday.
The services and technical support of CIPET will include assistance in establishing the PTTDC, advice on educational equipment, advice in recruitment of staff and developing course curriculum for the centre.
During operations, CIPET will also assist OEIHC in identifying a suitable accreditation agency for the courses to be offered and ongoing course development.
Prof S. K. Nayak told Times of Oman that Omani officials would be visiting India to discuss the details of the project following which a 'Training-the-trainers' course would be held in India.
Awadh Bamkhalef in his comments expressed gratefulness to Indian ambassador Anil Wadhwa for expediting the administrative matters for this project.
"The PTTDC project is of national importance considering the investments being made in the plastics upstream sector. This will certainly lead to a growing processing industry with in turn necessitates the need for such institution. The project will result in technology transfer into the country raising both the knowledge and skill levels of the plastics processing sector," Bamkhalef said.
The training offered by the centre will become the cornerstone in developing the downstream industries, he added.
The critical success factor is the association with CIPET -- a premier institution in India devoted to manpower training and technical services for plastics and allied industries.
The centre will provide technical support in the form of a wide range of services like consultancy and advisory services to the existing plastics and allied industries in different fields.
These include tooling and tool repairing for practical training and handling assignments on tool design, development, manufacturing and repairing and prototype development and plastics processing. The PTTDC will also act as an incubator with potential to undertake commercial moulding assignments where entrepreneurs can learn the technical aspects of production machines and subsequently utilise the facilities as outsourcing the products by getting them moulded or produced at the centre.
The centre will also be a knowledge repository to disseminate information and provide documentation reference services in the field of plastics engineering and technology.
The following educational programmes will be offered at PTTDC: 2-year diploma in injection moulding technicians, extrusion technicians or in mould manufacturing technicians; 1-year postgraduate diploma in plastics testing and quality control and plastics engineering.
By Visvas Paul D. Karra
© Times of Oman 2008
