Ghedex and OCF 2018 to introduce new features

MUSCAT: The year 2018 will witness a period of significant advancement in Oman’s higher education & employment sector. Ongoing regulatory and legislative initiatives, such as the National Education Strategy 2040, the expansion of the OAAA remit in standards accreditation and a new qualifications framework, are expected to have a significant impact on quality in the delivery of education.

The Ministry of Higher Education while continuing to offer generous internal & external scholarship programmes to local students, has also newly launched external scholarships for Indian & Sri Lankan students for the academic year 2017-2018.

With regards to the country’s employment outlook, the Omani government, in cooperation with the private sector, will provide 25,000 job opportunities for Omanis in both private and public sectors, having started from December 2017. Furthermore, the Omani government plans to invest a whopping OMR4.4 billion in various upstream and downstream oil and gas projects in 2018, which experts believe, can boost Oman’s economy and help kick-start construction projects, leading to more jobs for Omanis.

Attracting over 25,000+ attendees including students, parents & academic representation, and organised by Oman International Trade & Exhibitions (OITE), the region’s leading Global Higher Education Exhibition-Ghedex & the Omanisation Career Fair - OCF will be held from April 16-18 at the Oman Convention & Exhibition Centre.

Ghedex will continue to link stu- dents seeking prospects for further studies to reputed academic destinations worldwide and will host universities, colleges, vocational training institutions and language training centres recognized by the Ministry of Higher Education (MoHE) patronising the event.

This year, Ghedex 2018 will introduce new features including the ‘Education Technology Pavilion’ and the ‘Counsellor Forum’.

Both additions are designed to enrich the academic environment and promote the expansion and growth of the teacher-student relationship. With nominal charges applicable to exhibitors, the ‘Counsellor Forum’, co-organised with Alpha International as Forum Facilitator, will host B2B matchmaking opportunities between exhibitors and 50 high school counsellors and principals of leading high schools from Oman, UAE and Qatar.

On the other hand, the Education Technology Pavilion’ at Ghedex will focus on the latest digital technology and apps that will enhance classroom experiences, teaching procedures & student performances.

Besides hosting seminar sessions & workshops, a new feature of this year’s OCF edition will include internship programmes for freshers, undergraduates & graduates from top-hiring, labourintensive sectors including oil & gas, aviation, hospitality, mining, construction, logistics, tourism, finance, automotive & more.

Connecting theoretical knowledge to practical experience, these internship programmes will help students secure a competitive advantage over their peers.