Bridging the Academia- Industry gap in the changing economic scenario : Perspectives on Quality , Skill sets and Training in Oman

Abstract

Education and training have been the focus point for government as well as private sector
investment in the Sultanate of Oman. In a short period of few decades, it has resulted in the
remarkable success in terms of increasing percentage of educated people from all the regions
and social classes in the country.
Both corporates and SMEs in Oman play a pivotal role in the development of its economy.
Management education provides a pathway in the attainment of the success of this sector.
Hence, it becomes imperative to align the objectives of management education providers (public
and private) and training institutes (in- house, vocational and corporate) to the requirements of
the corporate world. In this context, the mismatch between the quality, skill sets and training
offered to the students and the job requirements set by the labour market is a major challenge
facing the country’s economy.
The gaps are presented and the strategies to reduce the gaps are the outcomes derived from a
focused group interview comprising of experts from academic institutions, industry and training
centers. To maintain anonymity, the expert’s names are not disclosed. The present paper will
focus on aspects pertaining to quality, skills, training and craft strategies to reduce the gap
between industry expectations and institutions outcome with specific reference to management
education.