A group of six Omani graduates from various universities including two Engineering alumni of the German University of Technology in Oman (GUtech) recently left for Germany for a two-year training programme, the ‘Oxea Graduate Programme’ that was launched by Oman Oil Company.

In March last year Oman Oil Company (OOC), Oxea and GUtech signed a MOU to prepare the young graduates for their work in the industry. The young graduates will work for two years at the chemical plant in Germany and the US. The students were selected out of more than 1000 applications. “I am looking forward to the training programme in Germany. I will be more exposed to the industry and to real life,” said Rawan Al Yaarubi, GUtech alumni in Process Engineering. The main aim of the training programme is for the students to understand the work process of Oxea, the chemical plants and the different administrative departments. Back in Oman they will then be able to support in setting-up of a new chemical plant in Duqm, by 2017.

The Oxea internship programme started already in July last year in Germany, where the students worked in laboratories. Moreover, they were taught soft skills and technical laboratory courses at GUtech. “During the internship we learnt a lot about the mechanical processes within an industrial plant. I also learnt about the AutoCAD software, we had many site visits and a lot of laboratory work,” said Rowan. For her, this is not her first stay abroad. “I was an exchange student in Kentucky (USA) when I was in grade 10. I am looking forward to living in Germany for two years. I like the German culture,” she said while adding, “The employees at OXEA in Germany were very welcoming”. She was one among only a few female employees working in the chemical plant. The GUtech students have studied German for three semesters at GUtech and attended an intensive eight-week German Language course at the Goethe Institute in Muscat.

The ‘OXEA Graduate Programme’, which was launched in 2015, is a specialized programme that targets fresh graduates from various disciplines such as engineering, finance, marketing and information systems, where they will be sent for an intensive on-the-job training programme for a minimum of two years in OXEA’s biggest plants, Germany and the United States. Through this programme, the candidates will gain adequate skills as well as experiences that will develop and advance their professional competencies. After completing the training programme successfully, the candidates will have the opportunity to join the OOC Duqm project’s team in Duqm’s economic zone.