MUSCAT: The Ministry of Transport, Communications and Information Technology (MoTCIT) outlined the progress achieved in the roll-out of the National Initiative for the Rehabilitation of Digital Cadres 'Makeen' here on January 24, 2024.
The programme was first launched in 2021, and has since trained around 5,000 local cadres in the fields of information technology.
Speaking to the Observer, the Assistant Director Department of Future Skills Development at MoTCIT, Ahmed bin Nasser al Naabi, shared that the programme was designed to fulfil the goals of the National Programme for the Digital Economy issued in response to the Royal Directives of His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tarik.
According to Al Naabi, the programme specifically aims to fulfil the target of localising technologies, attracting investment companies, and empowering local and international companies operating in the Sultanate of Oman.
He shared that the main challenges faced by potential technology companies is the lack of qualified cadres. As a result, the Makeen initiative creates custom programmes to fill this gap.
“We monitor the needs of companies, whether existing or entering the Sultanate of Oman, and based on their needs, we design training programmes. Most of our programmes, and most of their outputs, usually, after six months of graduation, find job opportunities in the companies we target.” The official pointed out that the programme aims to employ 10,000 Omanis by the end of 2025, and has currently trained around 5,000 individuals.
The initiative contains 5 main tracks including the technical boot camps track, the advanced nano-degree track, the professional specialised qualification track, the technical competitions track, and the technical certificates support track.
According to officials, since its inception in 2021, the technical camps track has implemented 14 programmes with 274 trainees. The six-month programme targeted the development of digital skills in programming and advanced technology. It resulted in 478 practical projects with local companies, and had an employment rate of 58 per cent.
The nano-degree track, implemented 24 programmes and targeted 1,564 trainees and resulted in 1,132 projects and 480 technical nano-degrees. It focused on providing trainees with specific technical skills and has resulted in 18 partial direct employment opportunities, and more than 52 income-generating opportunities.
The Professional Specialised Qualification Track, which was designed to provide trainees with specialised tech professional programmes associated with major companies such as Huawei, Cisco and Microsoft, implemented 47 programmes with 2,807 trainees since its launch.
The technical competition track hosted over 11 competitions, with 3,155 participants from 48 local and regional educational institutions. The track aims to market the participants, and turn ideas into marketable and workable models.
The technical certificate support track is expected to launch in Q1 of 2024, and will allow individuals to pursue higher professional technical certifications.
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