The educational system of the Oman Tourism College (OTC) has been distinctively designed to provide support to all aspects of the dynamic tourism and hospitality sector. In line with this principle, OTC aims to provide the industry with highly-qualified national individuals, who are capable of entering the labour market with pre-existing skill sets and experience. Since the tourism sector and its related fields require relevant real-world knowledge and high expertise, OTC focuses on providing practical training courses to hone the theoretical knowledge that students receive during the semester.
Dr Abdulkarim Sultan Al Mughairi, Dean of OTC said, “At Oman Tourism College, we place high importance on putting into practice what our students learn and expanding it into situations that extend beyond the classroom. Therefore, the college is well-equipped with modern educational tools and external training resources that are currently present in the modern tourism industry. We are also well aware that the tourism and hospitality sectors have a high demand for experienced and qualified individuals. As the leading college in tourism education in the Sultanate, training our students in this regard holds immense significance as it links our educational process with practical experience, alongside the development of the required proficiencies. Furthermore, this learning initiative also provides them with the advantages of gaining first-hand knowledge from various professionals in the sector and benefit from their respective expertise. We also integrate this ideology into the various programmes and courses we offer, as a part of our efforts in achieving our strategic goal of providing the national tourism and hospitality sectors with potential industry leaders for further growth and development.”
During the current semester, students of the Tour Guiding Department visited several tourist attractions and landmarks, including the Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque and the Royal Opera House Muscat, as a part of their training. The Culinary students commenced their on-the-job training with one of the college’s partners, Muscat InterContinental Hotel, to refine their skills and learn from the top chefs in the field. The Marketing Club students held an interactive knowledge-sharing session with local Omani entrepreneur and owner of ‘The Navigator’, Nasser Al Harthi. Last but not least, students of the Event Production Department organised an event in celebration of National Day at the college campus, as part of their assessment, taking charge of the marketing, sponsorship, planning and other responsibilities.
“The present curriculum we have adopted, which was redefined in the last few years, has played an important role in enhancing the job opportunities of our college students, after they graduate, without the need of having them go through a training period when they begin their profession. This will have a positive impact on the tourism industry of the Sultanate, as well contribute greatly to the government’s economic diversification efforts,” Dr Abdulkarim Sultan Al Mughairi added.
The article was original published in Wejhatt