State Secretary Dr Ralf Brauksiepe visits Muscat for high-level Talks - Regional Programme Gulf States
Event Reports
Dr Brauksiepe's visit aimed at promoting a dialogue on labour market policies between the Sultanate and the Federal Republic of Germany. In his presentation, Dr Brauksiepe dealt with current issues of the German labour market, talked about potential solutions and stressed the necessity to provide young people with access to the (local) labour market – an issue also on the agenda in Oman. In this regard, the advantages of a dual educational system as well as governmental subsidies for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) were highlighted and discussed in the context of social market economy and its competitive character.
Another topic encouraging a lively discussion amongst the participants was the question of whether and how to pursue greater involvement of women in the labour market, as the ability to reconcile work with family remains a major challenge in both countries. However, the fact that an overwhelming majority of university graduates in Oman are women, who - according to the Omani partners - are generally more “committed and productive” than their male counterparts, requires comprehensive action. The Omani Government gives high priority to training and qualifying the local population, as reflected by the size of the Sultanate’s investment in its educational system: an equivalent of 2.4 billion Euros.
The need to strengthen the vocational training system was repeatedly mentioned during the discussions. It became apparent that there is a necessity to train young people in a diverse and practice-oriented manner, particularly in the context of the aspired economic diversification. The Omani interlocutor underlined the wish for a greater German involvement in this area: The Federal Republic's experience is highly appreciated in the Sultanate, and the Omani partners hope for a closer cooperation in the fields of education and training.
In addition to the aspired nationalisation of the work force (“Omanisation”), the hosts drew attention to the challenge resulting from the fact that salaries in public service are generally well above those of the private sector. This often leads to a lack of incentives for young people to engage in private businesses or to found and establish SMEs. In order to effectively integrate the younger generation into the labour market, Oman therefore needs to raise the attractiveness of the private sector. In contrast to its neighbours UAE and Qatar, where citizens represent only a small percentage of the total population, 70 to 80 percent of the 3.1 million inhabitants of the Sultanate are Omani nationals. Approximately 30 percent of the working population are between 15 and 24 years old.
Dr Brauksiepe's visit was organised by the KAS Regional Programme Gulf States in cooperation with the German Embassy in Muscat. The event went along with regular exchanges between parliamentarians of the two countries: In November 2012, a delegation of five Omani parliamentarians traveled to Berlin at the invitation of KAS. Most recently, the President of German Parliament, Prof. Dr Norbert Lammert, has visited the Omani capital in late March 2013.
