Career guidance platform equips Omani students with new skills

Muscat Daily

5 days ago

Muscat – The National Employment Programme (NEP) has launched the second phase of services under its national career guidance platform – Khuta – to support students and jobseekers in making informed academic and professional decisions aligned with the country's evolving labour market needs.
Khuta is the first national e-platform dedicated to career counselling. The new set of tools introduced in the latest phase includes AI-powered guidance services, personalised planning support and inclusive features for students with disabilities.
Among the tools is 'Curriculum Plan', which enables school students – particularly those in Grade 10 – to map their academic paths based on their interests, abilities and higher education entry requirements. Another feature – Entrepreneurial Traits Scale – helps assess students' readiness for entrepreneurship using a model adapted to Oman's context.
The platform now also offers 'AI Assistant', which analyses user data and suggests career and academic paths that match their skills and aspirations. A new tool tailored for visually impaired users – Career Interest Scale for the Visually Impaired – is the first of its kind in the sultanate.
By the end of June, the platform had attracted more than 26,300 users. It now offers information on 861 academic programmes, 263 professional certificates and over 100 training courses in collaboration with online course provider Coursera. Over 2,460 individuals have already benefited from these online learning offerings.
Dr Badr bin Hamoud al Kharousi, advisor and head of capacity building at NEP, said career guidance plays a critical role in aligning education with employment needs. 'Khuta is a key element in our national effort to equip youth with the knowledge and tools to plan their future careers,' he said. 'It was developed as a public-private partnership, in coordination with ministries and higher education institutions.' Dr Badr bin Hamoud al Kharousi
According to Kharousi, the platform reflects Oman's strategy to build a knowledge-based economy by improving vocational guidance and preparing youth for a shifting economic landscape. It also supports Oman Vision 2040 goals to strengthen national human capital and enhance employability.
World Economic Forum's January Skills Report recognised Khuta for its role in advancing youth readiness for the labour market. The platform's growing relevance is seen in its expansion of services, including the 'My Study' and 'My Profession' modules, offering users data on academic programmes, career options and job roles.
Khuta also offers training in future skills through Coursera, mapped to the Omani National Framework for Future Skills. Users can access learning in technical, entrepreneurial and applied skills, along with professional resources and guidance support.
An interactive counselling feature allows users to schedule one-on-one consultations with career advisors on topics such as academic subject selection and assessment interpretation.
NEP plans to continue expanding the platform by integrating additional analytical tools and widening partnerships with training and academic institutions to further improve workforce readiness.