Professional life a big worry for Oman graduates

Also read: 3.5-year wait for job for young Omanis
Muscat: Young people in Oman worry that by the end of their university studies, they may not be prepared enough to become good professionals, a survey has revealed.
“What we saw from the preliminary results of the Youth Speak survey, is that young people in Oman are worried that by the end of their university studies, they will not be properly prepared to become professionals,” said Meruyert Shagmanova, vice president, Brand and Public Relations, AIESEC in Oman.
The Youth Speak Survey, conducted by AIESEC, the world’s largest youth leadership development organisation, is a global youth insight survey by youth for the youth.
It aims to gather the youth’s perspective on the present and their vision for the future, because the future depends on what we do today. In September 2015, the United Nations (UN) adopted the new global agenda for sustainable development in New York City and representatives of AIESEC International were present during the occasion.
The UN member states, governments, business, experts and leaders committed to addressing 17 global goals during the next 15 years for a better world. To make this world a reality, young people are also needed.
The aim of the Youth Speak Survey is to understand the hopes and challenges surrounding the journey from higher education to employment for young people. It is looking to understand what young people around the world care about, what they are passionate about and how they would like to engage in issues that matter to them.
It is also looking to convey a collective youth voice to decision makers and influencers— governments, business, universities, media, NGOs, thought leaders, experts and youth organisations.
Unemployment, education
According to the preliminary results of the Youth Speak Survey in Oman, 40 per cent of the young people and students listed unemployment and the education system as the biggest issues that Oman is facing currently.
Also, young Omanis are having difficulty in finding jobs that fit their educational background and previous professional experience.
A total of 62 per cent of the respondents of the Youth Speak Survey said they are missing practical skills to succeed in the labour market, and asked for the development of the education system to be the top priority of the government for the next five years.
The Youth Speak Survey is just the first part of the movement. “We do not just want to hear what the youth in Oman has to say, we also want to encourage them to be proactive and come up with their own solutions to the issues,” Shagmanova added.
As a part of the Youth Speak Movement, AIESEC in Oman had organised a forum on February 6 at the College of Banking and Financial Studies (CBFS). The aim of the forum was to bring together youth in Oman, to share their opinions on which Sustainable Development Goals (Global Goals) they think mattered the most in Oman today and discuss what youth in Oman can do today in order to achieve them.
“The old generation compliments the new generation, hence we need to work hand in hand for a better Oman,” said Hassan Al Lawati, founder and board member of AIESEC in Oman.