The second edition of the ‘Observer Round Table’, that aims at brainstorming on a very pertinent subject by experts on a monthly basis and to exchange ideas on a social issue and to draw conclusions by the participants, was held at the Ministry of Information premises on March 15. It focused on ‘how to bridge the gap between the skillsets possessed by the youth and requirements of the future job market’.
The key speakers of the round table discussion were Shatha al Maskary, Founder of Lahunna, Dr Neelesh Sogani, Representative from iosh RoSPA ambassador, and Samir al Zadjali, HR Adviser at Travel Point LLC. Abdullah bin Salim al Shueili, Editor-in-Chief of Oman Daily Observer, was the guest of honour.
For Shatha, there are many layers to the issues associated with the job market. “The first issue is that we are looking at individual level, second one we are looking at job level, industrial level, and how they are all going to collaborate with each other. There has been a major shift in the skills required in the job market in the last five to 10 years,” she said, adding that technology has really taken over the skillsets and any skill without technology is not of any use.
“Every country has different types of disruptions happening,” she added. However, the gap has been formed by the evolving technology and is responsible for the three aspects that she mentioned earlier.
Shatha furthered her stance saying that there is a close collaboration between education and job market. “I think some universities are offering apprenticeships and these programmes are proving to be highly effective. Having said that, as long as we get someone with the right attitude and hunger to grow along with the organisation, I think inculcating these skills is possible at any stage of the career. All of us are victims of disruptions of technology,” she said.
“Discipline, time management, to be independent and many other soft skills need to be taught along with the academic lessons. You can’t change the curriculum overnight but slowly and steadily, we can achieve it. One solution is that they need to work with the industry leaders and offer programmes as a quick fix to the problem.” The forum appreciated the initiatives that work towards bridging the gap between the skillsets and job market requirements as bridging the gap can bring in all-round benefits to the society and the economy as a whole,” she added.
Dr Neelesh Sogani opined that there is a large number of candidates graduating every year and there is an increasing demand for them but lack of desired qualification is deterring them from being employed. “When you look at the HSE sector, there is a huge demand for Omani HSE professionals.”
He advocates that HSE is a novel profession just as a doctor or a medic, because HSE professionals safeguard from going to the doctor as they take care of the health and safety aspect of the employees.
“At iosh, we are trying to create an awareness among the Omani professionals that there is a huge potential for their services in terms of HSE. With the aggressive Omanisaiton programmes being conducted, I see a greater potential for jobs in this sector. The human resources available in the country need to fit into the requirements of the job market,” Dr Neelesh said.
For Samir al Zadjali, HR Adviser at Travel Point LLC, which was recently awarded the most trusted brand award, it is the room that corporates provide to grow and earn that differentiates it from the rest. “The one thing that makes us different is that we give ample room for our employees to explore and find themselves newer skills and pursue the same. Anyone from the branch interested in corporate business, we give him or her an opportunity. Anyone interested in leisure tourism, we shift him or her to the desired sector,” Samir said.
However, trainees and job aspirants must strive to get themselves updated and educated in equipping themselves with the latest skill and knowledge in the market. “There should be an initiative to bring all these initiatives under one umbrella to reap the maximum benefits for the candidates and to the country as a whole. Self-learning is the best technique and unless one is driven by a thirst for learning, he or she cannot excel in her work,” said Abdullah al Shueili, Editor-in-Chief, Oman Daily Observer.
The Round Table discussion urged that the education system should identify what the requirements of the market are and we shouldn’t just remain science graduate or commerce graduate or art graduates or engineers but on the other hand, we should understand the requirements, core competencies and behavioural skills.
The first topic in the series was ‘The emotional conundrum in the post Covid-19 era’ delving into the various facets of the pandemic and the need to provide emotional support to those who are traumatised in several ways.
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