Madayn focuses on significance of training national cadres

Muscat: The seminar on Omanisation in the industrial sector underscored the significance of training national cadres in the industrial sector in particular and other sectors in general. The impact of Omanisation in raising productivity and competitiveness and achieving an ideal work environment all together contribute positively to the advancement of the Sultanate’s national economy.
Targeting investors and business owners based in Al Rusayl, Samail, Nizwa and Sur Industrial Cities, the seminar also demonstrated the online registration for investors and the mechanism that allows investors to provide necessary services in the field of training.
The Public Establishment for Industrial Estates (Madayn) had organised on Wednesday a seminar on Omanisation in the industrial sector as part of Madayn’s Oman Manufacturing Group (OMG) 2019 series of events.
Madayn Industrial Academy
Speaking at the event, Dr Khamis Al Muniri, executive director at Madayn Industrial Academy (MIA) explained that this seminar comes as a follow up to the seminar held last March for the investors in Suhar and Al Buraimi Industrial Cities.
“These events are being held to create a real partnership with various public and private bodies in order to develop solutions to meet the challenges facing Omanisation and rehabilitation in the industrial sector in the Sultanate. In fact, Madayn gives priority to the significance of training and development of the human cadres in its various industrial cities," he said.
In the previous years, Madayn has been adopting training and development programmes dedicated to the factories and companies based in the various industrial cities with the aim of developing their capabilities in different areas,” Al Muniri stated.
“Madayn Industrial Academy was established with the aspiration of giving a greater significance to the field of training and developing the human cadres. The academy will provide vocational and technical training programmes to develop the Omani cadres and raise their productivity," he said.
We have to note that Madayn has signed an agreement with Petroleum Development Oman (PDO) to provide employment opportunities through training for employment, direct hire, redeployment and on-job training," he added.
Additionally, the partnership with Nettur Technical Training Foundation will include the training of local faculties in Oman, identify the required relevant courses and equipment, develop vocational and technical training programmes to be run by the academy, set the curriculum and the content for conducting the training programmes and various certificate programmes, and evaluate the trainees performance through appropriate means and award certificates to successful trainees,” he said
Al Muniri also pointed out that the academy will bring benefits to the investors and companies. These benefits include supporting the government in employment, having an outcome of well-prepared trained employees, participating in employment interviews, enhancing the relations between Madayn and the investors, training the existing employees in the companies in different specialisations, facilitating work procedures of companies with government institutions, and providing free technical and administrative consultancy.
Jamal Al Jahadhamy, National Objectives and Training Advisor at Petroleum Development Oman (PDO), emphasised that the agreement between Madayn and PDO shall contribute to the provision of various employment opportunities through training for employment, direct hire, redeployment and on-job training.
Al Jahadhamy added that the national objectives of PDO aspires to deliver value to the nation by maximising the employment of skilled Omanis with PDO contractors and across Oman.
He also noted that the year 2018 highlights included the graduation of more than 3,400 trainees from the National Objectives Programme; 17,000 job opportunities were created, and the graduation of the largest vocational training in the history of National Objectives Programme (1077 graduates).
Ali Al Hashmi, CEO of Oman Technology Institute, explained that the institute’s Omanisation programme aims at training Omani nationals to the employment levels required by employers, instilling work ethics and commitment in trainees, availing employers of qualified employees at minimum cost, among other objectives. It should be noted that the institute was established in 2003 as a commercial and technical institute. It has partnerships with many international accrediting bodies in the UK, USA and Germany, and it is one of the providers of PDO’s National Objective programmes.
From his part, Mohammed Al Breiki, Director of Omanisation and Rehabilitation Department at Madayn, commented that Madayn has formed this department to follow up the progress of work in various industrial cities, monitor Omanisation standards and manpower related issues and offer more quality job opportunities in these industrial cities.
Al Breiki added that the objectives of the department include training of human cadres in the industrial cities and free zones of Madayn, promoting the basics and procedures of Omanisation within the industrial cities in cooperation with the related government bodies, developing training programmes in partnership with private sector bodies, raising Omanisation rates and make the best use of Omani competencies in the industrial sector.
A round of discussion then took place, moderated by Dr Khamis Al Muniri. Several topics were discussed including training services and incentives offered to the companies and factories based in Madayn’s cities in cooperation with National Training Fund (NTF) and Petroleum Development Oman (PDO). Discussions also took place on the quality of the programmes offered to the participants by NTF and the difference between training-for-employment programmes and on-job training. The efforts of Madayn to implement academic qualification programme in cooperation with NTF and PDO was also underscored, in addition to the challenges faced by the companies and factories in raising Omanisation rates and recommended solutions were proposed.
It is should be noted that this event comes within the Oman Manufacturing Group (OMG) series of events for the year 2019, which aim at underlining various subjects related to businessmen, employees and students of higher education institutions in the Sultanate. OMG events have been initiated by Madayn to bring together local manufacturers and various industries to network and discuss on the recent trends triggered in the industry and promote the development of the manufacturing sector in Oman.