Muscat: Oman’s Future Skills Initiative, in collaboration with the National Youth Commission (NYC), has launched the Sultanate's first youth survey on the future of skills. The survey which runs from July 15 to 28 is focused on Omani youth’s perceptions of skills needed in a digitalised economy and their interest to peruse it. The three key things the survey measures are behaviour, interest and applicability of skills.
As many as 46.7 per cent of Oman’s population are young Omanis under the age of 29, making up a significant proportion of the population, and they will not just be inheriting the future but are the shapers and implementers of the vision 2040, the vision of the survey said. The findings of the survey will be critical when combined with the findings of the employer’s survey, in building the Future Skills Framework.
The Framework aims to better understand the perception of employers in Oman on the availability of future skills (5years), and potential initiatives that could help address the skills gap.
“I encourage Omani youth to participate in the survey, their voice is of paramount importance to help identify the opportunities that remain, as to how to translate existing data into policies that will effectively promote youth workforce integration and employment; while secure government commitment for such policies," said Eman Rafay,
Secretary General of the initiative.
She added, “It is essential to understand the gap between education received by our young people and the ability to implement and utilise these skills in the workplace, and the Future Skills Framework is the first step in enabling us to narrow the gap for Oman”.
Dr Sami bin Salim al Kharusi, President of National Youth Commission added, “It is a great opportunity to partner with Oman’s Future Skills Initiative, in understanding better what the needs of our youth are, especially as it comes to human development. The knowledge is critical to help identify how to enhance the skills of young people for the jobs of tomorrow - and inspire collective action”
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