The College of Arts and Social Sciences, represented by the Alumni Committee and the Department of Tourism, organised a forum for final-year students entitled “Enhancing the Graduates of the College of Arts and Social Sciences to Align with the Labour Market in Line with Oman Vision 2040.” The event forms part of the College’s efforts to prepare students for the professional stage and strengthen their readiness to enter the labour market.

The forum featured a series of specialised sessions focusing on employment opportunities, mechanisms for labour market readiness, and entrepreneurship. The sessions were delivered by specialists from the Ministry of Labour, the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Authority, a number of entrepreneurs, and human resources professionals. The aim was to familiarise students with the professional and career pathways available to graduates of social sciences programmes.

The forum was accompanied by an integrated training programme that addressed the stages of job applications, starting from CV preparation and application methods, through to job interviews. This was delivered through practical simulations of different job types and anticipated interview questions.

Dr. Faisal bin Saif Al-Saidi, Assistant Dean of the College of Arts and Social Sciences for Training and Community Service, emphasised the importance of linking the knowledge and skills acquired by students during their university studies with diverse employment requirements. He stressed the need for students to have the passion to continuously develop their specialised skills and invest in them in ways that provide a competitive edge in the labour market.

Saqr bin Said Al-Rubaei, Director of the Department of Employment Application Analysis and Job Opportunities at the Ministry of Labour, explained that there are multiple opportunities for social sciences graduates in the labour market. He highlighted the Ministry’s ongoing efforts to align educational outcomes with labour market needs in the Sultanate of Oman. He added that students should enhance their communication skills and make use of the training programmes offered by the Ministry, particularly employment-linked training programmes.

Meanwhile, Abeer bint Ali Al-Muqbali, Senior Project Analyst at the Ministry of Labour, noted that the global labour market is witnessing rapid changes, requiring students to engage with them positively and benefit from emerging opportunities. She stressed the importance of utilising national initiatives, such as the free commercial registration and incentives offered to young people, particularly social sciences graduates. She also presented a number of indicators and statistical studies related to educational outcomes and the employment sectors available to graduates.

Ismail Al-Hajri, from the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Authority, highlighted the importance of entrepreneurship in the Sultanate of Oman and the role played by the Authority in supporting young people through technical and advisory services, access to funding sources, incubators, and business accelerators, in addition to the Riyada Card, which grants its holders a range of benefits.

Similarly, Salim bin Amin Al-Khusaibi, an entrepreneur and graduate of the College of Arts and Social Sciences, pointed to the abundance of opportunities available to young people in the field of entrepreneurship. He affirmed that investment incentives in Oman provide a strong starting point for successful and innovative youth-led projects that contribute to achieving future aspirations.

The forum also included specialised lectures on CV preparation and professional programmes that contribute to refining students’ skills, as well as practical simulations of innovative approaches to succeeding in job interviews, delivered by specialists in the field.

This forum is part of a series of programmes and events organised by the College of Arts and Social Sciences, aimed at enhancing educational outcomes and aligning them with labour market requirements, while supporting SQU’s objectives of being a distinguished knowledge hub that contributes to supplying the labour market with highly qualified national competencies.