Oman Educational Services, OES and Siemens agreed to develop a vocational training institute and introduce the country’s first comprehensive apprenticeship system.

 

The two companies signed an agreement to establish Oman-German Technology Solutions, a high-tech vocational training institute, built on the German system of apprenticeships. Under the partnership, Siemens will contribute expertise and experience to prepare young Omanis for careers in electrical, mechanical and process engineering and mechatronics.

 

“What makes it special is that this will be Oman’s first training institute to follow Germany’s widely respected model for dual-track vocational education,” said Claudia V. Massei, CEO for Siemens Oman. “This Siemens contribution to the Omani society is deeply aligned with the values of our company: innovation, excellence and responsibility. We are proud to play a role in empowering the next generation of Omani technical specialists to succeed in careers in manufacturing, infrastructure, and energy industries.”

 

The training program will start with 100 apprentices and gradually expand to meet the requirements of the growing Oman labor market. Graduates will gain valuable qualifications that will help them in the job market and throughout their careers. During the three-year program, apprentices will progressively spend less time in the classroom and more in on-the-job training, which gives a graduate technical expert, qualified on Level 5, a boost at the workplace, when they start their first jobs after the program.

 

‘’The institute will aim to reduce Omani youth unemployment and make the country’s economy more competitive’’, said Dr. Hussain Al Salmi, CEO of Oman Educational Services. “This cooperation is coming at the right time,” he said. ‘’Oman German Technology Solutions (OGtech) as a new subsidiary of OES with a strong link to GUtech and our German partners, is a vocational training project, based on the successful German-style Apprenticeship system, with a mission to instill the Omani youth with in-depth, practical knowledge in preparation for careers in Oman’s industries’’. Dr. Hussain emphasized on the fact, that the next generation of the Omani industrial labor force will be able to adopt and integrate transformative intelligent technologies into every area of business to optimize processes, make data-driven decisions, and promote innovation.

 

OGtech builds on Siemens’ success with similar vocational training efforts in at least 20 countries, including the United States, Egypt, Qatar, and Germany.

 

Officials attending the signing ceremony included Amelie Tittel, Chancellor at the Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany; Dr. AlKhattab Ghalib Al Hinai, Vice Chairman of the State Council and a member of the board of governors at German University of Technology in Oman; and Abdulrahman al Yahyaei, CEO of the Oman Society for Petroleum Services.