As Oman is pushing forward its Omanisation programme of replacing foreign workers with locals, the Ministry of Labour (MoL) has in recent weeks intensified a long-standing policy to create employment opportunities for citizens by training and arming them with additional skills. The move is set to tackle unemployment as well as shore up the economy weakened by the COVID-19 crisis.

In a shake-up of the labour system, the MoL has been active in signing a number of agreements for sector-specific training programmes for Omanis, and to make the benefits of working in the private sector closer to those obtained by workers in government jobs.

On Thursday, the MoL signed an employment-related training agreement with Nama Group to Omanise and replace 800 technical job opportunities in the electricity sector.

This is in cooperation with the Authority for Public Services Regulation with the aim of Omanising and replacing 800 jobs in the electricity sector in order to make subcontractors work on permanent contracts.

Among the steps taken to encourage the hiring of Omanis are raising expatriate employment fees for supervisor and specialist roles, and the Omanisation of certain positions such as manager posts at petrol stations and roles at optical stores, and the launch of an education financing initiative between the MoL, the Ministry of Education, and some banks in the country.

Last week, the MoL also signed an agreement with Oman Society for Petroleum Services to train, qualify and employ a number of Omani jobseekers in the energy, minerals and other sectors according to the needs of the labour market.

‘This will be done by preparing national cadres and encouraging them to join training and professional skills programmes and expertise required to fill jobs available in the energy and minerals sector,’ the MoL said.

This is in addition to a cooperation agreement signed between the MoL, Oman Broadband Company and Oman Fibre Optic Company last week to provide training associated with direct employment or self-employment for 70 technicians.

H E Salim bin Musallam al Busaidi, Undersecretary for Human Resources Development in the Ministry of Labour, said, “The ministry continues to sign such agreements, whether with governmental institutions or the private sector to provide more job opportunities for Omani youth.”

While launching Miran platform to boost online training, that will provide people with training material online along with traditional education, H E Busaidi said, the Ministry of Labour has always been translating words into actions.

“Oman Vision 2040 represents the dream of the future, as all its pillars are eager to push Oman towards economic diversification and focus on building national capacities, by finding innovative systems and solutions to provide young people with the skills of technical and vocational education and training required for the renewed labour market.”

Other positions in which only Omanis can be hired, moving forward, include drivers of vehicles that transport fuel, agricultural materials, and foodstuffs, administrative and financial roles in insurance companies, sales, accounting, management and finance jobs in commercial complexes, and auditor positions in car agencies and companies that sell automobile spare parts.

Meanwhile, an agreement was signed between the Ministry of Higher Education, Research and Innovation and Oman Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) Development Foundation to finance the training programme for Omani jobseekers in the field of mobile phones and tablets repair.