By Samuel Kutty — MUSCAT: MARCH 8 - The labour market in the Sultanate is witnessing a significant and dynamic shift as majority of the new jobseekers are university graduates, that too, in the age group of 25 to 29 years. According to data from the National Centre for Statistics and Information (NCSI), of a total of 43,858 aspirants for jobs by the end of December 2016, 20,869 are graduates. This is one per cent more from the previous month.
“The increase in the number of graduates shows that Oman’s investment in education is bearing fruits. Job creation still remains a challenge”, said Fatma bint Rashid al Riyami, an educationist.
According to the data, apart from graduates, the jobseekers included general education diploma and equivalents numbering 13,643 and university diploma holders accounting for 8,368.
There were also 96 post graduates and PhD holders in fray for jobs.
“As higher is the number of graduates seeking jobs, economic planners, business leaders and sector specialists should work with greater intensity to ensure that new jobseekers are fully equipped for an increasingly competitive work environment”, said Fatma.
Oxford Strategic Consulting in its Oman Employment Report Insights for 2016 recommends that Omani nationals be adequately trained.
“In order to productively increase youth employment and sustain its momentum, matching jobs with established skill-sets is imperative to create an enabling work environment”, the report points out.
According to Shahswar al Balushi, member of Tanfeedh Advisory Board, the education system should be dovetailed in a way that it meets the needs of a more diversified and knowledge-based economy.
“It should enable the development of an Omani workforce, capable of tackling high-tech tasks, as well as creating a more private sector-oriented, entrepreneurial culture”, he said.
The private sector, he said, should take it as part of its social responsibility to train the young graduates as per their aptitude and place them accordingly.
The Oxford Strategic Consulting, in a survey found that most Omanis wanted to work in the government or semi-government sectors.
In fact, 70 per cent of respondents in the survey favoured public sector, ministry, municipality and Royal Court Affairs as top organisations to work in at present.
“Omanis tended to think that pay in the private sector was much lower than that of the public sector,” the report said.
Yet private sector wages are not always lower for a skilled role, and the opportunities for advancement, development and higher pay over the course of a career can be much greater in the private sector.
In other words, calculations of life-time earnings find that the private sector can lead to greater returns for ambitious professionals.
“Oman’s private sector needs to modify these wage perceptions in order to attract more Omanis,” the report suggests.
Adapting the country’s education system and expectations of students to the needs of the private sector could help produce graduates who are qualified for the jobs available.
“However, this mindset shift is unlikely to happen overnight, and will require ongoing cooperation between the government and private sector players,” Al Balushi said.
“The government endeavour for diversification of the economy will open up thousands of jobs in the coming years. What is needed is the will to work,” he commented.
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