A new programme designed to give young Omani students and apprentices the skills to stand out from a crowd is to be rolled out following an agreement between Oman Sail and BP Oman to create the “BP Young Leaders Programme”. The pioneering enterprise was unveiled at a launch ceremony held on Monday at the Ministry of Manpower in Muscat, attended by H.E. Maitha Al Mahrouqi, Chairwoman of Oman Sail and Undersecretary of Ministry of Tourism and H.E. Dr. Muna Bint Salim Al Jardani, Undersecretary at the Ministry of Manpower for Technical Education and Vocational Training alongside Oman Sail management and BP Oman management.

Over the course of the 18 month agreement, 1,400 Omani college and university students from Al Sharqiya and Al Dhahira and BP apprentices will team up with eight Ministry of Manpower job seekers for three-day training workshops featuring a range of physical activities aimed at teaching them leadership, teamwork and communications skills. Held in Oman Sail’s sailing school in Mussanah, the programme reflects the growing need among employers for individuals who can show initiative, integrity and creativity. It will focus on outdoor challenges that develop valuable and transferable skills such as decision-making, problem solving and building team rapport.

Dave Campbell, BP Oman General Manager, comments, “As a responsible company, we at BP aim to have positive impacts on the areas where we operate and we are committed to our role in society. Over the next 18 months, we will provide valuable training, team building and personal development experiences for a substantial number of young Omanis. Our purpose is to help people develop the right motivations, self-awareness and team skills as they start to look for employment opportunities.”

David Graham, CEO of Oman Sail said: “It has been an absolute pleasure to work with BP Oman who clearly understand the value of experiential learning and the importance of providing the youth with transferable skills that will last them a lifetime.

“Through this programme, students will engage in physical activity and will be taken outside of their comfort zones on boats, sub-aqua diving or camping for the very first time in their lives. This experience will allow them to subconsciously and consciously learn to take responsibility and ownership, communicate more effectively and perform when exposed to stress, all of which are key skills to have in any work environment.”

The “BP Young Leaders Programme” comes under the umbrella of Oman Sail’s Corporate and Personal Development programme (CPD), an initiative that uses the company’s expertise in developing international-level sporting athletes. Fully operated by Omanis, it is designed to cater to the local employment market, through soft skills training that aims to improve the mental toughness and emotional intelligence necessary for success in the workplace. The programme will also offer bespoke staff development courses to directly address the specific productivity needs of companies.