NewsTalk
NEWSTALK
PDO Secures 1,770 New Job Opportunities
For Young Omani's
Petroleum Development Oman (PDO) has announced the creation of 1,770 new training-for-employment opportunities as part of its In-Country Value (ICV) drive to generate more jobs for Omanis in the oil and gas industry.
The Company has worked closely with the Ministry of Manpower, its contractors and technical training providers on a programme which will lead to internationally recognised qualifications for successful trainees.
More than 1,000 young men, aged 17-25, have begun courses at three vocational training centres to become electrical technicians, carpenters, welders, steel fixers, plumbers and scaffolders and those who pass are guaranteed jobs with PDO contractors. Another 770 are planned to begin training within the coming month.
The programme is a major part of the Company’s ongoing ICV initiatives, and highlights PDO’s commitment to Omanisation, support for the community and its long-term efforts to build the nation’s talent pool within the oil and gas industry and beyond.
PDO External Affairs Director Abdul-Amir Al Ajmi said: “We are proud to be driving programmes that we believe will create a sustainable training model throughout the oil and gas industry.
“Our vision is to contribute positively towards the development and empowerment of the national workforce by providing Omanis with the necessary skills to complement industry requirements. We focus on training jobseekers which is one way, we believe, we can add value to Oman and its economy.”
The programme delivers vocational training to young Omanis with preparatory or secondary education. PDO has worked with 18 contractors this year alone to secure employment opportunities in technical skills such as electrical, mechanical, welding, carpentry and scaffolding.
Yousuf bin Said Al Mutawwa, Assistant Director General of Operations at the Ministry of Manpower, said: “Such skills are now in demand in the light of the developments taking place in the country. We also call upon other private companies and institutions to train Omanis and support their employment across different sectors.”
PDO created the school leavers’ programme in 2011 under the title of “National Objectives” and has launched several initiatives with the aim of securing training and employment opportunities for Omanis. The Company has worked closely with its contractors to boost Omanisation rates across its projects and operations and a total of around 12,000 jobs and training opportunities have been created so far.
Sharifa Aidid, Head of PDO’s National Objectives team, commented: “Our team works to demonstrate what is possible with creative Omanisation solutions in the oil and gas industry. We aim to deliver value to the nation by maximising the employment of skilled Omanis with PDO contractors across the oil and gas sector.
We want to change the game on Omanisation, demonstrate what is really possible and drive the industry to achieve and sustain steep changes in this important area.”
6 | TRAINING MAGAZINE MIDDLE EAST NOV 2014