Bank Sohar launches 'Tomohi' – Enhancing Omani Youth Skills Programme

Muscat: Furthering its commitment to empowering the Omani youth in support of the national employment drive, Bank Sohar recently launched ‘Tomohi’ - Enhancing Omani Youth Skills Programme, a one-year internship programme aimed at enhancing the employability of Omani college and university graduates.
Under ‘Tomohi’, the bank has devised a structure that will enhance the knowledge and skills of youth seeking a career with a focus on banking and finance sector, delivering access to high-value employee training to fresh graduates.
Commenting on the launch of ‘Tomohi’, Mohammed bin Mahfoudh Al Ardhi, chairman of Bank Sohar, said, “Bank Sohar is renowned for its commitment to training and enrichment of the national human capital; indeed it is perhaps our most critical investment as a Bank to echo the national agenda and contribute to the progress of Oman’s economy. Our commitment will remain centred on assisting the rise of a new generation of well-trained industry professionals that will come to lead Oman’s financial sector.”
The 12 months’ internship programme will commence on July 29, 2018, and end on July 25 of the following year. Throughout the period, young Omanis will benefit from the bank’s human resource strategy for raising the competencies of staff, featuring placements across a range of departments, on-the-job training, technical and leadership programs, ongoing coaching activities, and exposure to a variety of work streams as a means of diversifying their performance and learning experience.
Mahira Saleh Al Raisi, AGM & Head of Human Resources at Bank Sohar, added, “By taking the youth under our wing, we are laying the building blocks for the future. An important element of our new skill enhancement program is the one-year duration of our engagement with the Omani youth, which will be coupled with an encouraging environment to refine and apply skills on the job, incredibly attractive to prospective employers.”
Young Omanis holding a Bachelors’ Degree in a business-related specialisation and exhibiting bilingual skills in English and Arabic with a cumulative GPA of 2.75 or more are eligible to apply in the programme between May 2 and 10.
The selection process will see interns shortlisted through assessment and interviews that will be conducted in an open manner to enable fair and equal access to available internship opportunities offered by the bank. The selected candidates will receive invitations for an internship in departments that support their qualifications and areas of study. A full induction programme for those accepted will take place to ensure a smooth integration within the bank’s working environment, with regular performance reviews, monitoring and feedback throughout the year. In order to support enhancing their experience, interns will be receiving a monthly allowance at the end of each month.
“During the internship period with the bank, interns will be treated with the same degree of professionalism as a regular employee. They will not be seen as visitors; instead, the bank will provide them with the opportunity to work on and be involved in on-going projects,” added Mahira Saleh Al Raisi.
“We have ensured a dedicated person will supervise the interns by conducting regular performance reviews. The supervisor will provide on-going feedback to the intern, be their advocate and mentor during the internship period, and conduct a formal performance review to evaluate the success of their time with the bank.”
Mahira further mentioned that upon completing the internship, the bank will provide the interns with a reference letter detailing the work they have undertaken, the skills and experience acquired, and the content of the formal performance review conducted at the end of the internship.
One core pillar of Bank Sohar’s market engagement strategy is centred on identifying local talent, communicating with prospective employees, and informing youth on the prospects available with the Bank as an employer of choice notable for a substantial commitment to enhancing the skills of its workforce. ‘Tomohi’ furthers the bank’s engagement with the nation’s human capital, with recent investments including participation in multiple careers and training opportunity fairs.