SOHAR Port and Freezone has today ushered in the third edition of its distinguished Summer Educational Programme following a signing ceremony held last week. The programme has already trained hundreds of youth in Sohar and the nearby province of Liwa, and this year’s initiative is set to offer 300 more high-achieving students the chance to enhance their English and IT skills.

Beginning later this year, the programme has been put together in a bid to offer a glimmer of hope for Omani youth, many of whom face challenging times when it comes to finding employment. It is also intended to provide surrounding communities with the skills and income required to improve their livelihoods and meet the development priorities outlined in the government’s Economic Vision 2020. This includes a commitment to ‘to develop and upgrade Oman’s human resources in order to [progress in line] with technological progress and attain international competitiveness‘.

Speaking after the ceremony, SOHAR CEO Andre Toet spoke of his personal commitment to the incoming cohort, and expressed his delight at how the new programme is shaping up.

“I know I speak on behalf of everyone at SOHAR when I say that we are delighted to welcome another exceptional group of young individuals into the SOHAR family. The Summer Educational Programme is a great way for us to create sustainable employment opportunities for the next generation of leaders, as we add to the 8,800 jobs that have been created here,” said Mr. Toet.

In addition to focusing on the social and economic benefits that will come as a result of developing an English and IT literate workforce in the region, it was announced that 430 jobs are to be created at two of the port’s terminal operators, C. Steinweg Oman and the Oman International Container Terminal as a direct result of the shift of all commercial cargo from Port Sultan Qaboos in Muscat.

With increasing interest in SOHAR coming from countries in the Far East and Latin America, SOHAR Freezone CEO Jamal Aziz spoke of the opportunities that will emerge as the port expands further, and encouraged the incoming students to learn how they too can share in SOHAR’s success.

“SOHAR is growing and as we do, we will create jobs. The SOHAR Summer Educational Programme is a fantastic opportunity to align our ambitions for the future of SOHAR Port and Freezone with market trends and up-and-coming young talent. I cannot think of a better match,” he remarked.