Four hundred new jobs were created for Omanis at the new
Muscat International Airport, as a joint venture between Petroleum Development
Oman (PDO) and Oman Air produced the new openings.
Under a recently signed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU),
PDO will train job seekers for different cabin and ground positions. In
addition, the group will offer ongoing education for 100 current Oman Air
customer service employees to better their skill set.
The agreement, signed by PDO Managing Director Raoul
Restucci and Oman Air CEO Paul Gregorowitsch, is part of His
Majesty’s goal of creating long-term jobs for Omanis.
“As part of our
National Objectives program to create job and training opportunities for
Omanis, PDO is going beyond our natural boundaries of the oil and gas sector to
support economic diversification and development,” Restucci said. “Working with
our trusted partners at Oman Air, we will ensure that hundreds of young
jobseekers are ready to play key roles in the new Muscat International Airport
which will be a showpiece for the country and the region.”
PDO “is proud to support His Majesty’s call to create
sustainable jobs and will be working even harder in the future, both on our own
and in collaboration with other organizations, to reach that goal,” Restucci said.
“Despite the oil price environment, we continue to ramp up our In-Country Value
drive and ensure Omanis are equipped with the skills and talents to forge
rewarding careers, either in our industry or other sectors of the economy.”
Once applicants complete the accredited vocational courses,
they will have guaranteed full-time jobs with Oman Air serving in positions of
ramp services and customer service.
This economy boosting partnership is just part of Oman Air
and PDO’s long lasting collaboration, as Oman Air is the authorized contractor
for PDO’s internal flights.
“Oman Air’s partnership with PDO demonstrates the airline’s
continuing commitment to the Sultanate’s policy of Omanisation,” Gregorowitsch said.
“The overwhelming response to the program and the progress made in training
have given us very positive feedback. We are pleased and proud to be working
together to deliver training that will enable Omani citizens to pursue
meaningful and rewarding careers. Oman Air will increase the percentage of Omani citizens it
employs to 63 percent in 2016, in line with its commitment to the Sultanate’s
policy of Omanisation.”
The courses are scheduled to last up to one year and will
focus on on-the-job training as well as technical skills. For those who pass
the ramp service and customer service classes, they will receive an International
Air Transport Association (IATA) diplomas and National Vocational Qualification
(NVQ) certification.
