Petroleum Development Oman (PDO) has marked the graduation of 117 young women from a company-sponsored training programme to work in the clothing industry with an event at a hotel in Salalah.
The jobseekers completed a six month course which included sewing machine techniques and English language and computer skills. They will be employed by Fashion Apparels and Ark Garment Manufacturing at their clothing factories in the Salalah Free Zone.
The trainees were the first batch to graduate from the programme which targets the training of 450 women over the course of three years, all of whom will be employed at these factories upon successful completion of their training.
PDO’s External Affairs and Value Creation Director Abdul Amir Abdul Hussein Al Ajmi said: “I am delighted that the training programme has enabled these women to secure jobs in the clothing industry.
“This is a great example of how we have worked with contractors to boost female empowerment and employment by providing first-class training and logistical support.”
The tailoring course, which included technical and on-the-job training, is being managed by the Arabian Training Institute in Salalah. It is being run as part of PDO’s National Objectives programme, which was launched in 2011 and has so far created around 45,000 employment, redeployment and training opportunities for jobseekers.
PDO has also supported female economic empowerment through its Banat Oman project which has so far trained 300 women from low income backgrounds in traditional Omani crafts and skills so they can earn a living and set up their own businesses.
