Muscat: Oman has allocated around RO 20 million for a 2026–2030 plan to develop the professional colleges system, as the Ministry of Labour steps up efforts to strengthen vocational education and prepare national talent for the changing needs of the labour market.

The Ministry said the investment reflects a broader push to improve the institutional and training capabilities of professional colleges, raise their efficiency and align their programmes more closely with the requirements of economic and professional sectors.

During the first half of 2026, professional colleges implemented 71 training programmes and courses, benefiting 1,062 people. The colleges also signed five cooperation programmes with relevant entities and adopted six institutional policies aimed at improving the educational and training environment, strengthening partnerships and raising the quality of training programmes.

The Ministry said its human resources development work during the period covered job organisation and classification, professional training and accreditation, development of professional colleges, administrative services, quality assurance, change management and the development of private training institutions.

In the field of job organisation and classification, the Ministry handled 1,462 requests related to vacancies, status adjustments and transfer of services. It also completed 1,014 job classification transactions and 423 transactions related to settling job statuses.

A further 66 studies and organisational projects were carried out to develop organisational structures and improve the job classification system. The initiatives are intended to improve the distribution of responsibilities and specialisations, make better use of human resources and help government entities respond more effectively to evolving workforce requirements.

Professional accreditation also recorded significant activity, with the Ministry issuing 83,000 professional licences and accrediting 350 professions under the professional accreditation system.

The measures are aimed at regulating professional practice, strengthening adherence to professional standards and improving the quality of competencies across different sectors.

The Ministry also linked 13,246 jobs to the National Competency Framework. The framework has so far been implemented in 24 government entities, while the human resources matrix has been applied across 63 entities.

According to the Ministry, these initiatives are helping move the labour system towards a more competency-based approach by identifying the skills required for different positions and supporting workforce planning, training and qualification programmes.

Meanwhile, 917 topics were processed through the “Access” system, providing services and responses to the needs of 12,607 beneficiaries.

The Ministry also continued programmes aimed at strengthening performance and institutional development. A total of 3,823 employees benefited from workshops on job performance, while 541 employees participated in the institutional excellence system.

Technology is also playing a growing role in workplace development. An experimental artificial intelligence application recorded an interaction rate of 70 per cent, with 350 employees participating in the initiative.

The Ministry said the figure reflects growing interest in using artificial intelligence to support daily tasks, streamline procedures and improve efficiency.

In the area of innovation and change management, new practices were implemented across 45 government units, supporting continuous improvement, institutional innovation and the development of more efficient work methods.

Work is also continuing on the Professional Diploma Credit Account project, which aims to enhance confidence in training programmes and improve the quality of training outcomes.

At the same time, the Ministry is developing regulatory frameworks for private training institutions to help them offer programmes that better respond to labour market requirements.

The project to develop the private training system has reached a 23 per cent completion rate, while the project aimed at strengthening the investment environment has reached 10 per cent.