Oman: Berufsausbildung statt Hochschulabschluss
Die omanische Wirtschaft schafft Arbeitsplätze für lokale Hochschulabsolventen. Allerdings ist es an der Zeit, sich auf die Berufsausbildung junger Menschen zu konzentrieren. Denn knapp 50.000 Omanis machen jedes Jahr einen beruflichen Abschluss. Ihre mangelnde industrielle Kompetenz und ihre fehlende technische Ausbildung beeinträchtigen die Berufsaussichten jedoch massiv.
Oman: Vocational training alternate to university degrees, says expert
As the Omani economy strives to create jobs for university graduates in the
local talent pool, it may be time for initiatives that focus on vocational
training for young people with an aptitude for vocational work.
Nearly 50,000 Omanis graduate from various institutes at different levels of education every year but lack of industrial competency is limiting job prospects and threatening their careers. Technical training that aims to equip students for industrial work may be the missing piece in the puzzle.
When a young Omani finishes high school, they have limited options. The most obvious one is to enrol in a degree programme but not everyone's style of learning is best suited to academic work. There are some students who demonstrate exceptional skills with their hands while others excel at designing or planning.
"You cannot put them in the same class and expect everyone to do well and have the same job prospects," Paul Steele, Consultant at the National Training Institute, said.
"This is where vocational training becomes truly valuable. The number of technicians needed, let's say in an oil field job, is much greater than the number of engineers you need. However, graduates may choose engineering even if they aren't very design-oriented because they are not aware of alternative career paths. This shows a disconnect between jobs and qualifications. It is difficult to hire all 10 engineers when only three or four are required. State-of-the-art vocational training institutes can promise a bright future for a lot of talented students," he added.
Steele was speaking at the NTI/OPAL Star Training Centre, a world-class facility for training oil and gas graduates. The centre has the capacity to enrol 130 students, providing them with technical skills by combining access to workshops in technical disciplines with fully functional rigs common in the hydrocarbon industry.
"Apart from core oilfield experience, we have noticed that a lot of the graduates are not comfortable with speaking and writing English. This is another area where we train them. Moreover, professional discipline like coming on time and a commitment to safety is strictly fostered in our training programmes. Students who cannot be safe and professional in the field will not be able to complete the programme," he added.
Vocational training programmes have been highlighted as a major driver for local jobs both by government officials and economic experts.
"Vocational training is something very important for young individuals and state-of-the-art facilities are something we need to develop for a stronger workforce in the future," Salim Al Aufi, Under-Secretary at the Ministry of Oil and Gas, said in a recent media briefing.
According to Ann Al Kindi, an economist and advisor to government organisations, Oman lacks quality vocational training institutes.
"If we need to make sure more Omanis get jobs, we need vocational training institutes. There are so many talented Omanis who can do excellent hands-on work but are mostly overlooked as they do not have professional training. We need Omanis in these jobs because they can do it best if given a chance," she said.
Nearly 50,000 Omanis graduate from various institutes at different levels of education every year but lack of industrial competency is limiting job prospects and threatening their careers. Technical training that aims to equip students for industrial work may be the missing piece in the puzzle.
When a young Omani finishes high school, they have limited options. The most obvious one is to enrol in a degree programme but not everyone's style of learning is best suited to academic work. There are some students who demonstrate exceptional skills with their hands while others excel at designing or planning.
"You cannot put them in the same class and expect everyone to do well and have the same job prospects," Paul Steele, Consultant at the National Training Institute, said.
"This is where vocational training becomes truly valuable. The number of technicians needed, let's say in an oil field job, is much greater than the number of engineers you need. However, graduates may choose engineering even if they aren't very design-oriented because they are not aware of alternative career paths. This shows a disconnect between jobs and qualifications. It is difficult to hire all 10 engineers when only three or four are required. State-of-the-art vocational training institutes can promise a bright future for a lot of talented students," he added.
Steele was speaking at the NTI/OPAL Star Training Centre, a world-class facility for training oil and gas graduates. The centre has the capacity to enrol 130 students, providing them with technical skills by combining access to workshops in technical disciplines with fully functional rigs common in the hydrocarbon industry.
"Apart from core oilfield experience, we have noticed that a lot of the graduates are not comfortable with speaking and writing English. This is another area where we train them. Moreover, professional discipline like coming on time and a commitment to safety is strictly fostered in our training programmes. Students who cannot be safe and professional in the field will not be able to complete the programme," he added.
Vocational training programmes have been highlighted as a major driver for local jobs both by government officials and economic experts.
"Vocational training is something very important for young individuals and state-of-the-art facilities are something we need to develop for a stronger workforce in the future," Salim Al Aufi, Under-Secretary at the Ministry of Oil and Gas, said in a recent media briefing.
According to Ann Al Kindi, an economist and advisor to government organisations, Oman lacks quality vocational training institutes.
"If we need to make sure more Omanis get jobs, we need vocational training institutes. There are so many talented Omanis who can do excellent hands-on work but are mostly overlooked as they do not have professional training. We need Omanis in these jobs because they can do it best if given a chance," she said.
Quelle: Times of Oman, timesofoman.com, 24.03.2018