MUSCAT — As many as 4,500 students will be admitted for study at vocational training centres and fishermen’s training centres this academic year 2012/2013. The number of students admitted to the colleges of technology for the next academic year 2012/2013 stood at 10,500, in addition to about 700 from other categories. This was announced at a press conference here yesterday by Dr Muna bint Salim al Jardaniya, Under-Secretary of the Manpower Ministry for Technical Education and Vocational Training.
In addition to existing training centres, the Ministry of Manpower established a vocational training centre in Al Buraimi and another one is being set up in Musandam, said Al Jardaniya. Study at vocational training centres, in the first year, focuses on basic skills English language, math and IT, in addition to some practical skills related to their study majors, said al Jardaniya. In the second year, students will be introduced to practical skills, engineering sciences, engineering drawing, in addition to basic skills English language, math, physics, chemistry, IT and project management. In the third year, advanced specialised programme will be introduced.
The students will be trained on high technical skills, as well as the basic skills English language, math, physics, chemistry, IT and project management. “After completing the third year, the graduates of vocational training centres and fishermen’s training institutes will obtain a vocational training diploma, which is equivalent to the technical education diploma granted by the colleges of technology.
This means that they will have the same financial grade granted to the graduates of the colleges of technology," said Al Jardaniya. "Work is under way to equate the academic study hours with the technical education system, after the students complete the necessary requirements and academic programmes," Al Jardaniya added.
She noted that specialties and study programmes at the vocational training centres in Seeb, Saham, Sur, Ibri and Shinas, include 11 departments, namely mechatronics, electronics, air-conditioning, electricity, auto technology, welding and metal casting, mechanics, operation and maintenance, carpentry, construction, agricultural training, specialised sale, beautification and hair dressing. The majors at fishermen’s training institutes in Al Khabourah and Salalah include aquaculture, fish development, ship construction and repair, navigation technologies, fishing equipment, fish engineering and marine mechanics. Twenty-four specialised careers come witin these departments.
The new vocational training centre in the Governorate of Al Buraimi will receive its first batch of students next year 2012/2013, she said. Al Jardaniya added that the estimated cost of buildings of the colleges of technology for the year 2012 will be about RO 26.9 million.
She pointed out that 50 instructors at the colleges of technology were nominated to get PhD degrees. Work is under way to dispatch 35 of them before the end of this year. The human resources development programme at the colleges of technology includes dispatching 36 technicians to Ireland to get the bachelor degrees. A plan has been developed also to dispatch 44 technicians and trainers at the colleges of technology during the period from 2012 to 2016, "25" of them will be dispatched in September 2012.
In response to a question on the development of programmes, Al Jardaniya said that the number of programmes that are offered at the colleges of technology for the academic year 2011-2012 now stands at 37 including 18.9 per cent only for the diploma level, 10.8 per cent for the advanced diploma level and 70.3 per cent for the bachelor level. — ONA
