Excerpts from the speech of Abdul-Amir Al Ajmi, External Affairs Director of Petroleum Development Oman (PDO) at the graduation ceremony of 6G welders on February 1, 2016.

We celebrate the graduation of the first batch of 195 young Omanis from an International Welding programme – the first of its kind in the region to qualify trainees in the welding profession to 6G – the top level globally.

The idea of ​​this programme stemmed from the directives of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said to provide more training and employment opportunities for job seekers. There is no doubt that young people are the backbone of the country, and its success depends on their success, through the refinement of their talents, upgrading of their skills, and providing them with the latest and best knowledge so that they can proudly contribute to the construction of their home – Oman.

This 20-month training programme has been designed by experts in this field and it included theoretical teaching and on the job training at the RAY Skills Institute. We appreciate their efforts in ensuring the success of this programme.

The programme comprises of young job seekers with the graduates are awarded with international certificates accredited by the British Welding Institute and the Association of Welding of America. It enables them to work in the welding field in the Oil and Gas sector anywhere in the world. Since the beginning of the programme the Company has entered into contracts with CCC and Al Turkei Enterprises to employ these graduates to work in PDO’s Rabab- Harweel mega project.

Moreover, the programme includes identifying common uniform standards for the profession of welding, where it will be a reference in its field in the Oil and Gas sector in the Sultanate. Oil and Gas facilities need maintenance, so the welding profession is indispensable, and it will open up broad prospects for the trainees, especially with the scarcity of qualified Omanis in the field of welding.

PDO recognises its important responsibility to promote the development of Omani youth capabilities in a range of technical and non-technical fields, thus facilitating their access to employment inside or outside the Sultanate. They can even launch their own business to fuel the economy and contribute to the continuous development of their country. As the saying goes, do not give me a fish, but teach me how to fish.

In line with the Government efforts to provide more job opportunities for young people, the Company launched in 2011 its National Objective programme, which is one of the most important pillars of our In-County Value (ICV) strategy, which also includes goods and services, the development of local companies, and social investment. The National Objectives programme highlights the Company’s commitment to Omanisation, and the training of the people of this beloved country, specifically those who did not continue with their university studies.

In co-operation with our contractors, the programme has so far managed to create around 20,000 training and job opportunities, in various fields covering mechanical, electrical engineering, instrumentation, installation of scaffolding, carpentry and blacksmithing.

These graduates are really a source of pride for Oman, their families, friends, and all of us. They are a model for Omani youth who seized the opportunity and I would like to urge them to make the maximum use of the training and the qualification they have obtained today, which will be reflected positively in their career and family life.

You will agree with me that the Ministry of Manpower and PDO have all played their role in terms of follow-up, both from the training team, or the National Objective team, and in connection with HSE aspects in the training environment.

Here the doors of the future are widely open in front of you, your names will be associated with Rabab-Harweel project, one of the largest and most important development projects in the Sultanate.

And remember that getting a certificate is not the end of the road, but rather the first step in a journey of a thousand miles. So start to write your first page in this open book.

I call upon the rest of the Omani youth to follow the example of these graduates, and benefit from the training opportunities made available to them, whether by Petroleum Development Oman or any other institution in the Sultanate. Opportunities do not always come!

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