PETROLEUM Development Oman (PDO) and Oman Air on Sunday joined forces to create 400 jobs for young Omanis at the new Muscat International Airport. The two companies signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) committing PDO to support the training of the jobseekers in a variety of cabin and ground staff positions, along with the upskilling of a further 100 existing Oman Air customer service staff. The successful completion of the internationally accredited vocational courses will lead to guaranteed full-time positions with the National Carrier in customer relations and ramp services. The agreement, which was signed by PDO Managing Director Raoul Restucci and Oman Air Chief Executive Officer Paul Gregorowitsch, was forged as part of the drive to support His Majesty's call for sustainable jobs. Restucci said: "As part of our National Objectives program to create job and training opportunities for Omanis, PDO is going beyond our natural boundaries of the oil and gas sector to support economic "Working with our trusted partners at Oman Air, we will ensure that hundreds of young jobseekers are ready to play key roles in the new Muscat International Airport which will be a showpiece for the country and the region." Gregorowitsch said: "Oman Air's partnership with PDO demonstrates the airline's continuing commitment to the Sultanate's policy of Omanization. The overwhelming response to the program and the progress made in training have given us very positive feedback. We are pleased and proud to be working together to deliver training that will enable Omani citizens to pursue meaningful and rewarding careers." "Oman Air takes seriously the responsibility to employ as many Omani citizens as possible and provide them with rewarding careers and career development opportunities. Raising the skills and experience bases of the Omani workforce, have always been the focal point of our business. Oman Air will increase the percentage of Omani citizens it employs to 63 percent in 2016, in line with its commitment to the Sultanate's policy of Omanization. "Not only will this benefit Oman Air and the broader aviation sector in Oman, but it will also help the trainees make a greater long-term contribution to the Sultanate and its economic growth. We look forward to welcoming the first 120 candidates to their ramp services training very soon." The courses will last for up to 12 months and include a mixture of technical and on-the-job training. Those who pass customer service and ramp service training will gain an International Air Transport Association (IATA) diplomas and National Vocational Qualification (NVQ) certification. Oman Air and PDO have enjoyed a long and fruitful association and the airline is the official contractor for PDO's internal flights.
