4 days ago
'Mustaqil' programme launched to transform skills into livelihood for young Omanis
Muscat – The Youth Centre has implemented the 'Mustaqil' programme, the first national programme of its kind. The programme aims to enable young people to discover their individual skills and transform them into a source of income by promoting a culture of independent work and entrepreneurship among school students. The programme is being implemented in cooperation with the Ministry of Education and the Public Authority for Small and Medium Enterprises Development.
The programme will run for three months, from July 7 to September 18, 2025, and will be distributed across 11 training stations in various governorates of the Sultanate of Oman. These include: Sohar University, the Youth Development Center in Sur, Ibri Club, Sultan Qaboos Youth Complex in Salalah, the Youth Center in Khuwair, Sharqiyah University in Ibra, the Oman Across Time Museum in Manah, the wali Hall in Rustaq, the Economic Authority in Duqm, and Khasab Sports Club.
The programme targets 330 male and female students from grades 10, 11, and 12, with 30 participants from each governorate. It provides comprehensive professional and cultural training content that enhances students' understanding of freelance work, equips them with skills in providing digital services and dealing with clients, and guides them to create professional files on freelance platforms. It also stimulates early entrepreneurial thinking among them to establish viable small projects.
Ms. Samira Al-Tala'iah, Head of the Entrepreneurship Department at the Ministry of Education's Career Guidance Center, emphasized that the 'Mostaqil' program represents a qualitative shift in enabling students to connect academic education with practical reality.
She added that, in light of the rapid economic transformations, freelancing has become a major career path. What distinguishes this program is its early development of professional awareness and its assistance in transforming students' passions and skills into real sources of income through a rich practical experience.
For her part, Halima bint Ibrahim Al Balushi, Career Guidance Supervisor in Muscat Governorate, pointed out the programme's importance in raising awareness of digital opportunities and enabling students to create professional profiles on freelancing platforms. She explained that 'Mustaqil' is an interactive program that helps students discover their skills in a stimulating and professional environment.
Participating students expressed their great benefit from the program, including the opportunity to participate, transform skills into a source of income, gain confidence in entrepreneurship and financial independence, and the importance of the workshops for early entry into the job market and the right direction in this path.
A number of parents also expressed their satisfaction with the programme's impact on their children and the benefits they gained from their summer vacation. They explained that the program instilled confidence in them, enabled them to understand independent work and artificial intelligence, and provided them with communication skills and digital service delivery.
The 'Mustaqil' programme is a strategic initiative to spread the culture of entrepreneurship in the Sultanate of Oman by achieving specific objectives, including: raising awareness of the culture of freelancing, creating initial accounts on freelancing platforms, developing viable ideas, and empowering students to use presentation and marketing tools and build a personal brand.
The programme represents a model of institutional integration between various national entities in supporting and empowering youth, in line with the goals of Oman Vision 2040, by preparing a productive, independent, and proactive generation for the digital and economic future.
