Third national survey for graduates begins today

MUSCAT, DEC 31 - The Ministry of Higher Education (MoHE) will start the third national survey for graduates on January 1, 2019. The survey will follow up on the graduates’ roles in the market, their specialisations and their relevance. Studying requirements of the market has always been a matter of priority for the ministry.
Dr Abdullah al Sarmi, Secretary-General of MoHE, said that such surveys provide a “solid database on the situation of graduates in the Sultanate and evaluate the level of outputs of higher education with regard to knowledge and skills that enable graduates to join the labour market”. He said the survey will explore the required specialisations for the market.
The survey will target 56,000 graduates in academic years 2016-17 and 2017-18. It is carried out in cooperation with the local educational institutions.
It will be compared with data from various sources, including the civil status and the General Authority for Labour Force Register.
The survey seeks to obtain comprehensive, multi-pronged data.
The first stage — also the university stage — of the survey will examine the environment provided by institutions of higher education in preparing graduates and providing them with knowledge and skills needed for the labour market.
The second stage is the transition from higher education to the labour market. It will include the period between the transition of the graduate to a permanent job. It will study the methods used by graduates to search for a job after graduation.
Dr Al Sarmi said the rapid economic revolution has made it difficult for the market to absorb the growing number of graduates in the Sultanate.
He urged the private sector to find a mechanism to accommodate the job-seekers. He said the ministry always responds to the requirements of the market by providing specialisations in local institutions or sending students abroad. “The economic revolution will change the studying specialisations in the future.”