NRC to expedite jobs for Omanis, give guidance

Muscat: The National Recruitment Centre (NRC) begins its operations on Wednesday. Its initial programmes include coordination with the economic sectors that generate job opportunities, integration with the relevant institutions, monitoring the commitment of the private sector to the specific Omanisation percentages and identifying the training needs. The NRC is affiliated to the Council of Ministers and enjoys financial and administrative independence. The centre’s board of directors will be formed by a decision of the Council of Ministers, provided that the board is represented (50 per cent each) by both the private sector and public sectors. Aseela al Semsami from the NRC said that, “the most important challenges facing the acceleration of employment of the national workforce lie in the steady increase in the number of job-seekers along with the rise in the number of educational outcomes annually, limited job opportunities that suit education outcomes, society’s perception of some professions, impact of labour trade and residence issues, in addition to the private sector, and hesitation of job-seekers to engage in entrepreneurship, job turnover, and incentives offered to institutions committed to Omanisation ratios.’’ The centre will form a single station that provides an integrated package of services for job-seekers on the one hand and business owners on the other, and will use advanced electronic systems to speed up the pace of employment for job-seekers. The centre will provide an accurate and detailed database on job-seekers and job opportunities available in all sectors. Al Semsami said that the centre will focus on generating job opportunities in the fields of manufacturing, tourism, transportation, logistics and mining sectors in addition to fish, agriculture and animal wealth, energy and information technology, besides education and health sectors. “The employment strategy includes existing opportunities where replacement programmes will be prepared in a deliberate and systematic manner that does not affect the attractiveness of investment and ease of doing business. The strategy will also look through new opportunities, as the national workforce will be prepared for the jobs generated by economic, private sector and public sectors,”  she added. The NRC will give career guidance services by providing consultations that will contribute to identifying the interests, desires and skills of job- seekers, thereby directing them to the specific fields of their interest. It will also help job seekers with adequate skills before joining their jobs. The centre will prepare medium and long-term programmes in the process of replacing expatriates with Omani job-seekers in various sectors, by providing appropriate training and qualification programmes. It will coordinate with the Ministry of Manpower to verify the presence of job seekers who meet the requirements before any licences are granted to recruit an expatriate workforce.