Vale sets foundation for Omani youth to lead Sultanate's steel industry

Najla Zuhair Al Jamali, Vale's Head of Business and Strategic Affairs, reiterated the company's commitment to empowering Omanis in the workforce during the Oman Forum for Building National Talent, highlighting Vale's strategies and objectives to build a sustainable project that has invested over $10m in training and developing its people with further multi-million dollar recruitment and training drives in the horizon.

The Forum addressed Oman's growing economy through the development of national talent by bridging the gap between the demand and supply of skilled manpower. In a panel discussion joined by representatives from the Ministry of Manpower, Ministry of Higher Education, Ministry of Education, Petroleum Development Oman (PDO) and Oman Cables, Al Jamali emphasized the key role the private sector plays in providing the practical knowledge needed to support the government's efforts to expand the country's education system.

"Training is the foundation for a career in Vale and we are committed to attracting, developing and retaining Omani professionals who will help solidify the country's position as a base for integrated steel production in the region. The Sultanate's unparalleled industrial infrastructure is underpinned by the availability of a buoyant labor market and we are confident that our virtual iron ore mine project will yield further positive results by injecting more jobs into the market," Al Jamali said.

Operating at full production capacity of 9 million metric tons of 'clean' iron ore pellets per year, the global diversified mining company has achieved 63% Omanization rate in record time.

She added, "We have begun a new chapter in our history of transformation with the inauguration of our US$ 1.36 billion Industrial Complex in Liwa and envision a bright future for many young Omanis at Vale. Our workforce structure is a reflection of Vale's long-term plans for the region and we strongly believe that our work culture offers attractive career opportunities in a multicultural and dynamic work environment."

Since 2009, Vale has provided a number of recruitment and training programs including enrolling college and university graduates in administrative, operational and technical positions within the project in addition to global training programs linking our initiatives and expertise in Oman, Brazil and Japan. The company's holistic recruitment approach ensures that it attracts local qualifications from across the spectrum, beginning from secondary school graduates to holders of Masters Degrees in the various required fields.