OMRAN Group and Ministry of Labour’s collaboration Midhyaf Programme Continues to Empower National Competencies across Various Disciplines
Reflecting the Group’s ongoing commitment to create national competencies, the highly specialised training for employment programme, Midhyaf, continues to succeed in empowering the national youth and enhancing their capacities to accomplish development in the tourist sector in numerous disciplines. The program, which was launched in collaboration with the Ministry of Labour by Oman Tourism Development Company (OMRAN Group), is intended to accommodate young Omani talents, develop their skills and abilities, and provide them with the qualifications they need to work in the lucrative tourism sector.
Attesting to Midhyaf’s success, a total of 111 trainees from six professional disciplines completed specialized courses, which are offered at Oman Tourism College (OTC). This comes under the first phase of the programme before they start their on-the-job training programmes in the group’s hotels. Meanwhile, an additional 24 trainees under the culinary programme are scheduled to complete their specialized courses in July, following which they will also take up on-the-job training at select hotels until the end of October to continue with their careers.
Commenting on the programme’s updates, Hashil bin Obaid Al Mahrouqi, CEO of OMRAN Group, stated, “Midhyaf programme reflects OMRAN Group’s keen interest in investing in local talent development, which in turn contributes to sustainable development. The Groups aims to make a positive impact on economic and human capital development. We endeavour to keep ourselves strongly aligned with the Oman Vision 2040 which focuses on enhancing the tourism sector’s competitiveness while creating jobs and promoting national abilities. Parallelly, we are also contributing to fulfilling the goals outlined in the National Tourism Strategy 2040 that seeks to position Oman as an iconic tourist destination that has the required support services to cater to the diverse needs of different segments of tourists. A strong, skilled, and motivated local workforce is, therefore, intrinsic to achieving progress.”
“We highly appreciate the cooperation and support provided by the Ministry of Labour to the Midhyaf Programme. At OMRAN Group, we will continue to focus on accelerating human potential by equipping the youth with the necessary skills and supporting them to continue their contribution to the development of the tourism sector, thereby enhancing its role in achieving the desired economic growth,” he added.
Speaking about the importance of human resources development, Hilal bin Masoud Al Jadidi, OMRAN Group’s Chief Human Capital Officer stated, “The Midhyaf Program bolsters efforts to create jobs, and empower Omani talent in the tourist and hospitality industries. This is accomplished by aligning educational outcomes with labor market demands in order to provide them with a bright future in this industry. Local competencies have been refined to the highest standards necessary at the local, regional, and global levels through collaborative efforts to improve their skills and expertise. This paves the path for trainers to contribute to the tourism and hospitality sector’s leadership.”
He further added, “The program focuses on a comprehensive approach to learning and development, taking into account the application of high-quality standards for professional and practical aspects. It also confirms that participants will gain advantage from the latest local, regional and international practices in the sector.”
Midhyaf aims to align its goals with the National Tourism Strategy 2040, support the Ministry of Labour’s targets regarding creating more job opportunities for Omanis, and provide a new concept for the vocational training programmes offered by the Oman Tourism College. The Programme focused on ensuring that participants benefit from the most recent local, regional and international practices in the tourism and hospitality sector, through professional courses at Oman Tourism College and in cooperation with the hospitality assets of OMRAN Group and leading hospitality institutes and academies, which enables the trainees to obtain up to 11 professional certificates, depending on the type of the training programme.
Midhyaf currently includes 135 trainees with Diploma and Bachelor’s degrees who are enrolled in one of the seven capacity-building vocational and professional courses, namely Culinary, Front Office, Housekeeping, Accounting, Sales & Marketing, Hotel Operation & Management, and Service.
In line with the ambitious vision of a developed and sustainable economy, OMRAN Group will continue to focus on prioritising talent development to improve the efficiency of hospitality businesses and boost productivity in the sector. While the Midhyaf programme has received much appreciation from the local community, OMRAN Group through its various endeavours, will remain steadfast in promoting sustained, inclusive, and equitable socio-economic growth in the nation.