In September 2022, the Ministry of Transport, Communications and Information Technology launched the “Makeen” initiative, aiming to equip Omani youth with the most in-demand modern digital skills in the labour market, such as artificial intelligence, big data, programming, and application development. The initiative is implemented in collaboration with leading local and international educational and training institutions in the ICT sector and forms part of the initiatives under the Executive Programme for Digital Industry within the National Programme for Digital Economy.
It aims to train 10,000 young Omanis and create income-generating opportunities through freelance work in the digital sector by 2025, in line with the Ministry’s targets outlined in the Tenth Five-Year Plan. The initiative contributes to strengthening the labour market by developing national competencies that can keep pace with rapid technological advancements, while promoting continued investment in national talent.
It also helps to mitigate challenges in the digital labour market and bridge the gap between educational outcomes and market demands, while fostering sustainable strategic partnerships with both local and international institutions, and enhancing the competitiveness of Omani youth in roles that require advanced technical skills.
The programme has introduced 5 pathways for job seekers and attracted more than 25,000 applicants, of whom over 8,000 have completed training. It has delivered more than 60 professional certificates and over 800 micro-certifications with participation from 11 countries in the delivery of training programmes and workshops, achieving an employment rate of over 60% among the programmes’ graduates.
MTCIT in collaboration with the Ministry of Labour has emphasised the key role of digital participation in supporting the programme’s objectives through open registration for all within the target group direct access to learning opportunities activation of digital education engagement with content shared on social media platforms and the involvement of influencers in encouraging young people to participate in the programme according to their interests.
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