Social ministry celebrates graduation of 60 people with disabilities

Muscat: The Ministry of Social Development on Monday held a ceremony to celebrate the graduation of 60 people with disabilities who comprised the second batch of a training programme carried out in implementation of an initiative themed “Be with Us for Them”.

The ceremony was held under the auspices of Dr. Laila Ahmed Al Najjar, Minister of Social Development, who delivered a statement in which she valued the role and contribution of the private sector, companies and government institutions that took the initiative, aimed to provide employment opportunities for people with disabilities after they complete the training programme.

The initiative included training on customer service, office management, document printing and copying and electronic archiving.

The initiative included training and rehabilitation for handicapped people afflicted with mental, motor and hearing disabilities.

Twenty-one of the disabled received training at the University of Technology and Applied Sciences in the Wilayat of Sohar in the Governorate of North Al Batinah, while 39 of them received training at Mohammed Al Barwani Training Institute in Al Athaiba, Governorate of Muscat.

The initiative, which stems from partnership between the Ministry of Social Development and the Specialized Human Development Centre, constitutes a step forward in the realization of the goals of Oman Vision 2040.

The initiative focuses on engaging the main sectors in Oman to shoulder efforts of social responsibility, empower people with disabilities and utilize innovative ideas of human resources in general.

The initiative (“Be with Us for Them”) began in September 2022. It has so far generated 57 direct employment opportunities for the disabled and offered on-the-job training for the segment through the participation of 13 private sector establishments.

The initiative envisages the occupational empowerment of 500 disabled people by 2027.