Three out of every five private higher education students in the Sultanate of Oman (nearly 61 %) believe that university education better qualifies them to join the labor market, while 48% of the students termed the quality of education in private universities and colleges as satisfactory, says a poll on private higher education conducted by the (NCSI).
At the same time, the poll on the quality of education in private universities and colleges held in October 2015 by NCSI also showed that 15 % of college students consider that their university studies do not equip them with the necessary skills to succeed in the labor market.
Interestingly, 66% of male students believe that university degrees are quite helpful to get jobs, while only 59% female students think so.The poll also revealed that as many as 67% of students pursuing business, social sciences and literature strongly feel that their degrees hold relevance and value in terms of meeting the requirements of the labour market, making them the largest group of students who valued their degrees. This group was followed by percentage of students of Physics, Mathematics and Medical science.
In contrast, those studying engineering and technical sciences students turned out to be far less satisfied with their qualifications, and were skeptical about their qualifications being sufficient to succeed in the job market, with just 55 % of them showing confidence. Further, more than two-thirds of the private higher education students (69%) think that the major drawback in higher education is the limited opportunities for practical training, and is considered the most important factor that negatively impact their chances of getting jobs after graduation.
As many as 46% of the respondents felt there is urgent need for the curriculum to be redesigned to better suit the requirements of the labor market, while 42% think lack of English language skills as the key hurdle in getting good jobs.Nearly 43% of the students felt that they lack proper research capabilities, and the same was affecting their job prospects.