Universities and colleges in Oman are now facing acute difficulty in finding training and internship opportunities in both public and private sectors for their students. This is their requirement to fulfill before they finally graduate. This is the biggest dilemma ever faced by higher education institutions of the country. It will have negative implications on public and private organisations, as well as on the completion of the practical part of the training programmes of students. It is the requirement of the labour market that the students should have practical training and internship in their areas of specialisation before they are hired.
A practical solution is required as a way out from this Catch 22 situation being faced by both public and private sectors. All efforts to bring high-quality human resources to address our ambitions should not go in vain. These human resources could contribute to advancement of research, innovation and development of new ideas for a better future. With the skills and competencies, they have developed, they could seriously restructure our lives and make it more modern.
In many parts of the world, particularly Europe and America, the situation is different. In those countries, it is the government and private sector organisations which take initiatives to train students and give them internship opportunities. This they do to tap the skills of bright students from the campus itself. They pay lot of money to the universities and students to encourage them to get training with them and work in scientific research in their workshops and factories.
If organisations treat students as liability, they will never be able to give the results which we are looking for. Therefore, clear mechanisms should be made to train students from colleges and universities. This will be a real contribution to skills and capacities of all. Giving students opportunities for training and internships is the responsibility of both public and private sectors. They could work together for it. Those who do not agree with this idea are unaware of the potential we can lose due to the lack of such opportunities.
The training and internship opportunities given to students add value to the areas of technology, business, and medical sciences. It is always advisable to benefit from the fresh ideas of youth for the development of any sector. They bring fresh ideas and rejuvenate the sector with their innovative skills and ability to find solutions of issues which are normally at the tips of their fingers.
Those who are giving opportunities to students for internships do not welcome them with big heart. They create lot of fuss on the issue. They just treat it as a formality. Though such training opportunities are crucial for getting their degrees and to their higher studies and develop skills as per their specialisations. To avoid such situation, certain rules and regulations should be made.
Some universities and colleges, because of their students not getting training opportunities, use some methods which do not match with the internship and training at all. Neither this serves the objective of the required efforts nor satisfies the young souls. Such practices should not be allowed in the country.
Despite all hurdles, we should learn from others’ experiences. Some companies realise the importance of training and internship in their own businesses in certain sectors. But majority of the companies do not have any programmes and ideas to accommodate youth for training and internship.
In view of insincerity on the issue of training and internship opportunities to develop better skilled human resources, restructuring of the system is required. This is possible only by formulating new rules and regulations binding both the public and private sectors as well as the students to fulfill certain requirements. Building of a nation needs honest and strict procedures for development of human resources.
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