OSSTC – Occupational Standards and Skill Testing in Oman

In „Vision 2020” the Sultanate of Oman has defined the scenario for advancing the country's human resource development and to establish an effective training and labour market policy in line with the actual needs of the economy.

This requires the development of state-of-the-art occupational standards and effective monitoring instruments for the intake of foreign workers. The project is owned by the Ministry of Manpower and handled via a contract with GTZ-IS. The core of the contract is to establish a „Center for the development of Occupational Standards and Skill Testing” (OSSTC). This centre is expected to provide substantial support for improving the quality and efficiency of training and the capability of monitoring the intake of foreign workers. The definition of occupational standards is expected to serve as a platform for the development of effective curricula as well as for the design of testing packages which will secure reliable skills testing for foreign workers and for nationals seeking certification for their qualifications.