Global resource management specialist, Veolia has joined forces with the Sembcorp Salalah Power and Water Company and Sohar Operation Services to launch an apprenticeship program aimed at elevating the quality of talent entering Oman’s desalination sector.

Targeting recent Omani mechanical and electrical engineering graduates from Sultan Qaboos University and Salalah Technology college, the nine-month program will include both theoretical learning within a classroom environment and on-the-job training.

Sponsored by Madayn and Petroleum Development Oman (PDO), the new apprentice program, which is certified by the Ministry of Manpower in Oman, is based upon the National Vocational Qualification (NVQ) Level 4, a UK-based work-based qualification that tests candidates on their knowledge and skills for technical and professional work-related activities.

Erwan Rouxel, Veolia’s Oman CEO on behalf of Veolia said: “We are proud to announce the launch of our new apprenticeship program and this project will not only accelerate the quality of talent entering Oman’s desalination market, but will also raise the country’s profile as a regional leader for sustainability.”

Humaid Al-Amri, Sembcorp Salalah CEO said: “We welcome this industry initiative to advance the sustainability goals of Oman through developing key talent for the water sector. At Sembcorp Salalah, enhancing the capabilities of our employees is one of our key priorities and we continue to equip our people with specialized training and upskilling opportunities. We are honoured to play an active role to grow young talent and we would like to wish all the candidates a fruitful and meaningful learning journey.”

Dr. Suhaib Abudayyeh, from Sogex Oman and Director in Sohar Operation Services, said “Training is crucial for any organization as well as for job-seekers, especially in a fast-paced developing country like Oman. We must focus on providing training to fresh Omani graduates on par with the global standards in order to improve their skills and capacities so that they can play an active role in the development of Oman. This program is in line with Oman’s Ninth Five-Year Development Plan and this kind of initiatives will make the Private Sector more attractive for Omani youth.”

Set to be hosted at the Oman Technology Institute (OTI), the first batch of apprentices to join the program will consist of ten trainees, who underwent a rigorous selection process to ensure they had the right foundation to flourish within Oman’s fast-evolving desalination and sustainability market.

Upon successful completion of the program, candidates will have the potential to be immediately recruited by companies on water sector.

Ali Al Hashimi, Founder of OTI, said: “The value of our apprenticeship program is that it is based upon the UK’s NVQ which assesses a candidate’s knowledge and skillset for a technical role. Meeting the NVQ standard ensures that our candidates are equipped with global best practice and that they bring this invaluable knowledge into their future roles.”