81pc women prefer govt jobs

While a mammoth 81 per cent of female students in Oman opt for government jobs, the percentage of males preferring the sector

stands at 51.

According to a Youth Orientation Survey conducted by the National Centre for Statistics and Information (NCSI) in the third quarter of 2016, seven out of 10 higher education students

preferred to work in the government sector.

“Students of subjects such as natural and medical sciences, social, legal, religious and arts sciences are the most favourable to the government sector,” the survey has found. Results of the survey showed half of the youth (males 65.5 per cent, females 41.5 per cent) are willing to work in the private sector if the salary is 25 per cent higher than that of the government

sector.

A total of 47 per cent are willing to work in the private sector if the salary is 50 per cent higher than that of the government sector.

This opinion is held by 63 per cent of males and 41.3 per cent of females.

Results indicate 70.7 per cent of students in universities and colleges abroad prefer to work in the private sector if the salary is 25 per cent higher than in the government sector.

“Overall, stability, job security, good salary and incentives have been found to be the most important factors for young people. The average acceptable minimum wage for employment in the private sector was higher than the government sector,” the survey pointed out. The average salary in the private sector is RO 908 compared with RO 886 in 2015.

The average acceptable minimum wages in the public sector stood at RO 857 in 2016 compared with RO 830 in 2015. The average minimum acceptable salary in the private sector varied between males and females.

It was RO 1,038 for males compared with RO 833 for females. The average wages in the public sector was RO 949 and RO 804 for males and females, respectively.

The minimum acceptable wages varied according to specialisations of study.

Among the students of natural sciences and health sciences, it was RO 1,057 in the private sector and RO 1,017 in the public sector.

Results of the survey indicate 62 per cent of the students believe their qualification is useful and sufficient to get a job — a 9-per cent fall from the previous year.

Sixty-three per cent of females believe their qualification is commensurate with the requirements of the labour market as against 70 per cent in 2015.

For the third year in a row, 45 per cent of students think limited practical training is the most important drawback in scientific qualification.

It’s a 11-per cent decline compared with 2015.

Students at the Sultan Qaboos University, technical colleges, universities, private colleges, universities and colleges abroad consider limited practical training to be the most important negative aspect in scientific qualification, while students at health institutes believe poor English is the most important drawback hindering their entry into the labour market.

In terms of disciplines, limited training comes as a major shortcoming for students of trade, economics, business administration, natural sciences, medical and engineering sciences. As for the social, legal, religious and arts students, the most important shortcoming was their specialisation was not required in the labour market.

Seventy-six per cent believe competition from expatriates affects their chances of finding a job.

This view is held by 75.8 per cent of males and 76.6 per cent of females.

Two out of every five students of higher education believe the presence of expatriate labour in the current numbers is more or less detrimental to Omani economy.

Their percentage among males is 51.7 per cent, which is 19 per cent higher than females (32.3 per cent). The survey showed the search for work is the most important future plan for 55 per cent of students of higher education after completing their course, as against 21 per cent who believe going for a higher qualification outside the Sultanate is the major plan. Thirteen per cent feel completing the course is their goal.