15 MoUs signed with PDO to create 50,000 non-oil sector jobs

Muscat: Fifteen Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) have been signed by Petroleum Development Oman (PDO) as part of its huge drive to create 50,000 jobs in the non-oil sector. “PDO is sponsoring the vocational training of 1,200 young Omanis and the jobseekers will be guaranteed full-time employment on successful completion of their training in a variety of key economic sectors including industrial development, real estate, hospitality and fashion,” the state-owned oil production company said. Technical disciplines The MoUs include commitments for a total of 500 training-for-employment opportunities with the Public Establishment for Industrial Estates for technical disciplines such as welding, carpentry and scaffolding. “One hundred and fifty jobs for women at the Ark Garment Manufacturing clothing factory in Salalah will be offered. One hundred and thirty seven posts with nine of the Sultanate’s leading hotels – the Kempinski, the Hormuz Grand, the Intercontinental, the Crowne Plaza, the Grand Hyatt, the Shangri-La and the Al Bustan in Muscat, and the Anantara in Salalah and Al Jabal Al Akhdar - for work as chefs, food service assistants, receptionists and front office staff also will be provided,” the PDO said. In addition to this, 112 employment opportunities with steel manufacturing company Hadid Majan, engineering firm Descon, and a joint venture between energy infrastructure services giant CB&I and engineering, procurement and construction concern CTCI, for trades such as electricians, scaffolders, pipefitters, welders and mechanics will also be provided. Training programmes PDO also signed a MoU with the Oman Real Estate Association to upskill 300 real estate brokers so they can be officially certified and licensed by the Ministry of Housing, enabling them to hire more staff. The training programmes will span 6-18 months, depending on the profession being pursued. Once the courses, a mixture of practice and theory, have been successfully completed they will be qualified to international standards. The employment initiative was sealed at an official signing ceremony between the leading representatives of the participating organisations and PDO Managing Director Raoul Restucci at PDO’s Knowledge World Centre in Al Qurum.