Muscat: The National Employment Programme has unveiled the second set of services on the "Khuta Career Guidance Platform", the Sultanate of Oman's first complete national e-platform specializing in career counseling and professional orientation.
The second package offers a set of intelligent tools aimed at improving career counseling experiences, allowing users to create career plans that are consistent with their personal goals and labor market needs.
Among the new services is the "Study Plan", which offers school students—especially those in Grade 10—a clear image of their academic options. Students can choose a study strategy depending on their interests, talents, and university admission requirements to help them narrow down potential specializations and investigate employment market prospects for each one.
The platform also introduced the "Entrepreneurial Traits Assessment," a scientifically verified instrument customized for Oman's context.
It assists students in assessing their readiness for entrepreneurship and uncovering their potential via behavioral and attitudinal analysis.
Furthermore, the "Khuta AI Assistant" uses user data analysis to suggest specialisations and professions that are consistent with their abilities and interests.
As a demonstration of the platform's dedication to equal opportunities, the "Career Interests Assessment for Visually Impaired Individuals" was developed—the first of its type in Oman—to assist this population explore appropriate educational and career alternatives based on their skills and interests.
The launch marks a watershed moment in the development of career counseling in Oman, providing Omani teenagers with the skills to make educated career choices while also increasing their readiness for the employment market. This corresponds with Oman Vision 2040's goals of establishing a knowledge-based economy and supporting sustainable development of the national workforce.
The new services are part of a comprehensive plan to enable young people in making informed educational and career decisions, training them for future skills and economic changes while also supporting digital transition projects.
Since its introduction, the platform has witnessed increasing demand, with over 26,300 users at the end of June this year. It currently provides 861 academic programs, 263 professional credentials, and 100 training courses in collaboration with the Coursera platform, benefiting 2,465 young Omanis.
Dr. Badr Hamood Al Kharousi, Advisor and Head of Capacity Development at the National Employment Programme and General Supervisor of the platform, emphasized that career counseling is critical to the success of the employment system and bridging the gap between educational outputs and labor market needs.
He emphasized that Khuta is a cross-sector integration model that was created through public-private alliances including the Ministry of Education, Ministry of Labor, government higher education institutions, and commercial sector organizations.
The platform has received national and international recognition, including acclaim in the World Economic Forum's Skills Report (January 2025) for its contribution in equipping young people with future-ready abilities.
