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Forum discusses key issues related to labour market developments and future skills

Forum discusses key issues related to labour market developments and future skills

Times of Oman2 days ago
Salalah: A forum titled 'Future of Work' kicked off on Monday at the Sultan Qaboos Youth Compound for Culture and Entertainment in Salalah.
The two-day event, held as part of the Labour Forum organised by the Directorate General of Labour in Dhofar Governorate, saw a large turnout of experts and specialists from the Sultanate of Oman and GCC states.
The forum seeks to promote cross-sectoral dialogue, exchange expertise and successful practices and devise evidence-based future visions to support employment programmes and human capital development in line with the goals of Oman Vision 2040. It also keeps pace with GCC states' approaches to achieve sustainable economic and social development.
The forum's programme included dialogue sessions and workshops focusing on key issues related to labour market developments and future skills.
The first session included three working papers on economic developments, future of work prospects and employment policies in a changing world.
The second session dealt with economic developments and future skills in GCC states. It included research papers on the governance of the work leadership's system, forecasting skills needed to achieve development goals, policies of education, and the development of skills in a manner that supports the sustainability of labour markets.
The forum constituted a strategic dialogue platform that contributes to discussing the future of employment and skills development, enhancing the readiness of labour markets in GCC states to address global challenges and supporting efforts to build sustainable and competitive economies.
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