Record number of Omanis graduate from PDO

Muscat: A record number of young Omanis, totalling almost 600, graduated from PDO under the company training scheme to work in the oil and gas industry.
“This is a landmark moment in PDO’s national objectives programme,” Abdul-Amir Abdul-Hussein Al Ajmi, PDO External Affairs and Value Creation Director, said.
According to PDO officials, the fifth batch of graduates is the largest in the history of PDO’s national objectives programme.
Graduates, aged between 18 and 27 underwent training for 14 to 18 months in a variety of technical disciplines, including welding, plumbing, rigging, carpentry, scaffolding, instrumentation, sheet metal fabrication and mechanics.
Al Ajmi thanked all those who involved in organising and executing these training courses, both at PDO and external partners.
Students are all certified to the internationally recognised National Vocational Qualification Level Two, and have Edexcel accreditation. Some also qualified to Construction Industry Training Board standard.
The men have been offered work with PDO contractors include Bahwan Engineering Company, Al Turki Enterprises, Thomson, Gulf Petrochemical Services, Galfar, Alec, Abraj, Al Tasnim, Carillion Alawi, Heimo and Oman Holdings International.
“Our national objectives programme is based on training jobseekers for skilled positions with low Omanisation levels but a high industry demand, so that they can forge good careers in their chosen area, and work either in the Sultanate or abroad,” Al Ajmi said.
PDO’s national objectives programme was launched in 2011 to create employment and training opportunities for jobseekers with the company’s contractors.
The graduation ceremony took place under the auspices of Salim Al Aufi, undersecretary at the Ministry of Oil and Gas.