Joint efforts initiated to reduce skill gap among jobseekers in Oman

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Muscat – The Ministry of Labour (MoL), in collaboration with the Ministry of Higher Education, Scientific Research and Innovation (MoHERI), the Public Establishment for Industrial Estates (Madayn), and the Academy of Industrial Innovation, signed a cooperation agreement aimed at empowering jobseekers holding professional diplomas within the industrial sector.

The agreement was signed on Wednesday by H E Sayyid Salim bin Musallam al Busaidi, Undersecretary for Human Resources Development at the Ministry of Labour, H E Dr Mona bint Salem al Jardaniyah, Undersecretary for Vocational Training at MoHERI, and Dawood bin Salim al Hadabi, CEO of Madayn.

This collaborative effort seeks to tailor the capabilities of jobseekers with professional diplomas to meet the evolving demands of the labour market, particularly within the industrial sector.

A comprehensive training programme will be developed to refine the skills of participants, combining the insights from professional diplomas with the specific needs of the industry.

The curriculum will have both theoretical and practical training phases, including one week of classroom instruction followed by up to six months of on-the-job training in manufacturing facilities. This initiative aims to reduce the skill gap observed in graduates, facilitating a smoother entry into the industrial job market.

Recent statistics from MoL show the presence of 100,000 jobseekers, of which 80,000 have never worked before.

In response, specialised committees have been established across various sectors – such as tourism, education, agriculture, transport, and communications – to oversee the integration of human resources and training programmes with the demands of the current job market.