MUSCAT: For many young Omanis entering the workforce, finding a job often means leaving home for opportunities elsewhere. Nama Water Services wants to change that.
The company, on Monday, unveiled the third phase of its training-for-employment initiative, creating 303 new positions in water and wastewater operations while deliberately placing recruits in the governorates where they live.
The approach reflects a shift in thinking. Rather than focusing solely on filling vacancies, Nama is attempting to build local workforces that can support communities over the long term while reducing employee turnover.
The latest intake pushes the programme's total employment opportunities across its three phases to 1,188, making it one of the largest workforce development initiatives in the sector.
Participants undergo technical and administrative training before moving into three months of supervised on-the-job training, allowing them to gain practical experience before taking on permanent operational responsibilities.
The jobs span a range of technical and professional disciplines, including engineering, maintenance, health and safety, business administration and cyber security, supporting the growing operational requirements of the water utility.
Nama says the programme has also transformed the composition of its contractor workforce. Omanisation in targeted operation and maintenance contracts has risen from around 55 per cent during the first phase to more than 80 per cent after the second, with the third phase expected to lift the figure above 90 per cent.
Equally important is where those jobs are located.
By assigning employees within their own governorates, the company hopes to improve job stability while reducing the need for workers to relocate away from their families. The strategy also strengthens local technical capacity, allowing operational expertise to develop across the Sultanate of Oman rather than remaining concentrated in major urban centres.
The initiative aligns with the broader objectives of Oman Vision 2040, which places workforce development and private-sector employment among the country's economic priorities.
For Nama, however, the programme is about more than employment statistics. As the utility continues expanding water and wastewater infrastructure, it also needs a growing pool of skilled technicians, engineers and specialists capable of operating increasingly sophisticated networks.
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