Courses in Oman fail to meet job market needs: Shura panel

Muscat: Courses at universities and private colleges are failing to meet the requirements of the job market, said Khalid Al Far’i, head of the Education Committee at the Shura Council.
As part of an ongoing study on the current situation in universities and private colleges, being carried out by the Shura Council, the Education Committee recently spoke to academics of higher education, as well as the Ministry of Higher Education, for their suggestions.
One of the main issues that came forward during the meetings was the lack of perspective for students in the job market.
Al Far’i said varsities and private colleges have to meet the requirements of the labour market. He said for some courses though, there was hardly any chance of getting employment.
“For specialisations, such as graphic design, airport management and nanotechnology, there aren’t enough job opportunities.”
According to Al Far’i, lack of competence and the quality of courses had resulted in poor preparation for the labour market, and not the general policy of universities and colleges.
“Some courses do not provide adequate quality to meet the requirements of the job market,” he said. Al Far’i added that action will be taken to find out which courses offer the least perspective for job seekers.
“The Ministry of Higher Education will examine a number of specialisations and may cancel courses that are not suitable for the job market,” he said.
In addition, Al Far’i said the Oman Academic Accreditation Authority (OAAA) will also examine the academic quality of a number of courses and define whether the quality delivered is adequate or not. He added that it is not yet known which courses do not meet the requirements.
“We are awaiting the evaluation carried out by the OAAA,” he said. The Education Committee also found that the Ministry of Higher Education itself is facing a number of challenges when it comes to the job market. Al Far’i told the Times of Oman (TOO) that institutions within the job market do not give a clear idea to the Ministry as to what specialisations are needed.
Also, the development of new courses does not always catch up with the needs of the job market.
“After a new course has been approved, it might take at least five years to start it. During this period, the needs of the job market may change drastically.” Al Far’i suggested that to resolve the issue, the ministry should get help by assigning graduates from secondary education to courses suitable for the job market.