Demand for skilled Omanis high in hospitality sector

The cause of this was the cessation of vocational training funding in June last year,” Tarik al Said, chairman of the company, points out in the company’s annual report.

Although recruitment in public sector is limited as per the 2017 budget, the Ministry of Finance has provided allocations for activating the role of National Training Fund (NTF) in order to advance recruitment efforts in private sector.

The Fund is set up by Royal Decree No 48/2016 and aims to build the capabilities of the Omani workforce in order to bridge the gap between the market supply and demand.

According to 2040 Tourism Strategy, Oman will attract five million visitors, add more than 50,000 hotel rooms and generate 535,574 direct and indirect jobs by the end of the implementation period.

The tourism industry witnessed a growth of 17.7 per cent in visitor turnout in 2015 alone, taking annual numbers to 2.4 million.

“Quality vocational training to young Omanis is needed now more than ever as more and more hotels open their doors for business and need competent staff ”, says Tarik.

According to a study by Dr M Firdouse Rahman Khan and Jayashree Krishanamurthy of Sultan Qaboos University, the government should take measures to enhance and fix up a better salary structures for tourism industries sector.

“Government assistance should be provided in the form of training, policy reformations towards entrepreneurs venturing in tourism sector,” the study suggests.

Hotels and tourism companies should volunteer to recruit the institutions to provide internship to tourism qualified professionals.

“Educational institutions should include more practical field visits and tours so as to provide the students with the hands on training facilities so that the students will be attracted towards tourism sector and motivated to take up tourism and hospitality jobs which will push up the younger generation to boost up the fast growing economic growth and development of Oman,” the study adds.