Oman Opens Registration for 1,195 Vocational Training Programmes for 2026/27

Oman Opens 1,195 Vocational Training Opportunities Across Seven Colleges

Muscat:  The Ministry of Labour, represented by the Directorate General of Vocational Colleges, has opened registration for 1,195 vocational training programmes for the academic year 2026/2027.

Registration is being offered through seven vocational college branches in the Wilayats of A’Seeb, Saham, Sur, Ibri, Shinas, Al Buraimi and Salalah, and will remain open until Sept. 19, 2026.

Dr. Shafiq Darwish Al Abri, Director of the Department of Student Affairs and Vocational Partnerships, said the vocational efficiency programmes form part of the Ministry of Labour’s efforts to provide training pathways for job seekers holding Tenth- and Eleventh-Grade certificates.

He explained that the programmes aim to equip trainees with practical and specialised skills and enhance their readiness to enter the labour market through a clear and progressive training pathway.

The vocational efficiency programmes combine theoretical knowledge with practical training and offer a range of technical and vocational specialisations, providing trainees with options suited to their interests and abilities and helping them build a professional foundation that can be further developed through successive training stages.

The available specialisations include welding and metal fabrication, refrigeration and air-conditioning maintenance and repair, light vehicle repair and maintenance, furniture carpentry, operational mechanics, painting and decoration, vehicle body repair and painting, electrical and water plumbing, electronic device maintenance, food manufacturing techniques, and cosmetology and hairdressing for females.

Five major specialisations account for approximately 74.6% of total training capacity. Welding and metal fabrication leads with capacity for 260 trainees, followed by refrigeration and air-conditioning maintenance and repair with 202, light vehicle repair and maintenance with 155, furniture carpentry with 145, and operational mechanics with 130.

The A’Seeb branch has the largest capacity, accommodating 270 trainees, while the remaining places are distributed among the other vocational college branches according to their programmes and specialisations.

Al Abri noted that the vocational efficiency programmes provide trainees with a progressive qualification pathway. Successful trainees receive Vocational Efficiency Certificate (1) at the limited-skill level during the first academic year and can progress to the second year to obtain Vocational Efficiency Certificate (2) at the skilled level.

Trainees also receive a monthly financial allowance throughout the training period.

The Ministry called on eligible job seekers to make use of the registration period, review the available programmes and select specialisations that match their capabilities and interests.

It stressed that investment in vocational skills is an important pathway for empowering Omani youth and strengthening their readiness for future employment opportunities.