Venue: Bank Muscat - Head Office Monday 7 September
The World of Work: A New Dynamic
Tuesday 8 September
Millennials: A Different Work Perspective
Monday 14 September
Vocational Training: Changing Perceptions
Wednesday 16 September
STEM: Jobs of the Future
Want to attend The workplace and the way we work is evolving. In the 1980s, companies and the public sector were hiring typists and switchboard operators. Today, they’re recruiting webmasters and desktop publishers. We’re living in a world few could have imagined even 20 years ago – a world powered by technology, fueled by information and driven by knowledge.
REGISTRATION If you're interested in attending any of the Oman at Work sessions please email us with your name and the evening(s) you'd like to attend. We'll confirm receipt of your registration within 24 hours. omanatwork@ithraa.om
Gallup conducted a worldwide study mapping ‘global desires’ and the results were clear: people want a job – ideally with steady hours, a regular pay cheque and all-round stability. But in the years to come, the changes being wrought by the Digital Age will reshape not just our concept of the workplace and a career, but also the reality of how we actually earn a living. Indeed, in the future, people will have shorter careers and more of them. Increasing numbers of people will work independently in small businesses and more women will work from home. And our notion of a company will also change. What today's companies provide salaries, benefits, education and security - will also be different. In tomorrow's companies, salaries will function more like incentives, while benefits will be more like menus where not everyone will have access to the same options. Oman at Work is a series of four evening conversations designed to help us better understand the challenges and opportunities of the future work environment and the fundamental impact this will have on how Oman attracts, nurtures, retains and motivates a talented workforce. OMAN AT WORK 2015
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EVENING 1 MONDAY 7 SEPTEMBER
7.30pm - 9.00pm
Moderator Shabib Al Mamari INJAZ
Panelists Ahmed Al Salmi GUTECH
Shatha Al Maskiry PROTIVITI
Scott Armstrong TIMES OF OMAN
Luma Al Saleh
THE WORLD OF WORK: A New Dynamic You may be on your way home but you know that the working day isn’t over yet. The moment you have web access you’ll be checking your email. And what time did you really start work this morning? Was it 8:00am when you sat down at your desk, or was it 5:15am when you first looked at your smart phone? Welcome to work-life merge, a term coined by Snapchat’s former COO Emily White to describe a life in which work and free time are no longer neatly compartmentalized but merged. It's a world in which staff take two hours out of the working day for something personal, but in which it’s also routine to spend the same time answering emails at the weekend - where even the CEO leaves the office at 5:00pm to have dinner with the children but is back on the laptop and emailing by 8:00pm.
TRACCS
Farah Faud Al Hinai BANK MUSCAT 2
OMAN AT WORK 2015
Whatever your age, one of the most important questions we face is how the future of work will develop and the impact it will have on us and our organization. What’s inevitable is that we’ll be employed in ways we can hardly imagine.
Talking Points • Previously, it has been common for people to have one job and sometimes even the same employer for life. Today, most of us can expect to have a range of different jobs in our lifetime. Indeed, as a result of unprecedented global economic changes affecting all sectors of economic activity and all countries, uncertainty about the future of work today is widespread. What impact is this uncertainty having on companies as well as the community? • More people are working for themselves. Entrepreneurship is hot, partly because of how Facebook, Apple and Google have put start-ups firmly centre-stage, and partly because the global recession has left some workers with no other option. Eighteen percent of all adults worldwide - or 29% of the global workforce - reported being self-employed in 2013. How attractive is it to strike out on your own today?
29% of the global workforce -
reported being self-employed in 2013.
Employability skills needed to retain employment and progress in the world of work include: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9.
Communication Problem solving Technology Teamwork Self-management Honesty Enthusiasm Adaptability Openness to new ideas OMAN AT WORK 2015
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• Learning and growth opportunities - employees want to work in challenging and rewarding jobs. Jobs need to be designed to encourage personal growth, with an annual learning plan for career development. Employees don’t necessarily want to climb a career ladder, butwant to move into various and different roles.
Companies need to provide context and meaning to employees, by sharing with them sufficient information on how they fit in with the strategies of the business.
Employee engagement is being part of a great place to work. • Increased health and longevity means Baby Boomers are working longer, enabling organizations to keep experienced team members into their retirement years.
• Technology advances are increasing exponentially. As employees adopt new gadgets and technology in their personal lives, they will increasingly expect similar tools and levels of empowerment in their professional lives. They will judge employers on their commitment to employee enablement and the company’s ability to quickly transition consumer tech to enterprise tech. • With the increase in the market penetration of smartphones and tablet devices, a significant portion of the world’s human potential will have access to rich Web and application experiences from anywhere. This enables organizations to source and collaborate on knowledge work with any part of the world, tapping into a global talent pool. • More companies are offering - and more employees are asking for - workplace flexibility. Because the workplace has gone digital, employees based in an office can often take their work on the road, which provides opportunities to live closer to family, relocate to a new city, travel, or simply work from home. The question is whether your employer embraces this trend.
As employees adopt new gadgets and technology in their personal lives, they will increasingly expect similar tools and levels of empowerment in their professional lives.
• Workplace and team diversity is increasing, principally fueled by globalization and demographic changes. For all the benefits of diversity, it also carries risks related to team cohesion, cultural bias and productivity.
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Moderator Professor Nikolaus Knebel GUTECH
Panelists Raed Dawood OOREDOO
HH Sayyid Dr. Adham Al Said SULTAN QABOOS UNIVERSITY
Duha Awayes PROTIVITI
EVENING 2 TUESDAY 8 SEPTEMBER
7.30pm - 9.00pm
MILLENNIALS: A Different Work Perspective Oman is investing heavily in education and training to create the next generation of business and public sector leaders. The Millennial generation is better educated and more diverse than any other generation in Oman’s history. And their working lives will be very different to previous generations, research suggests a typical Millennial will have 10 jobs by the age of 38. Indeed, by 2025 they’ll make up 75% of the global workforce.
Jamal Al Asmi REALITYCG
Faisal Al Shanfari OMAN OIL
But questions abound about how work fits in to Millennials’ lives and long-term aspirations. For example, how will motherhood impact well-educated women’s professional aspirations? How have tough global economic times influenced Millennials’ attitudes to work and career goals? Is today’s youth ready to join the corporate world or are they looking for alternative employment options?
Talking Points • Not sticking with one job for a lifetime. Unlike their grandparents and even parents, Millennials aren't likely to stay with one employer for their entire career. In fact, by the time they hit 30, some Millennial workers already have experience with several companies under their belt. That means companies have to work harder to retain young workers, often offering lifestyle perks that weren't on the table years ago. And for workers, it means more flexibility - no longer having to stick it out at a job that’s not right for them.
What do Omani employers need to do to attract millennial talent?
What has to be put on the table? • Work-life balance is a priority. Maybe because Millennials watched their parents work their lives away, the workplace's newer employees want time to develop their personal lives and interests outside of work. They also want work itself to be fulfilling, not just a salary at the end of the month.
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On average,
40%
of respondents claimed that becoming a manager or leader was
very important.
• Personal branding is in fashion. Making a name for yourself is smarter than ever in this volatile economy, increasing your chances that someone who knows of you will come to you with a job rather than you having to look for one when you need it. Especially since the newest generation of workers tend to hop from one company to another, it makes sense to brand yourself rather than (or in addition to) your employer. • According to INSEAD’s Emerging Markets Institute, Universum, and the HEAD Foundation, Millennials are interested in becoming leaders - for different reasons. On average, 40% of respondents claimed that becoming a manager or leader was “very important.” This ranged from 8% in Japan to 63% in India. And the reasons - money, opportunities to coach, building career foundations - also varied across cultures. Why do Omani Millennials want to become leaders? • What do Millennials want to see in their business leaders? For example, in North America, Western Europe, and Africa, at least 40% of respondents said they want managers who “empower their employees.” • Do Millennials have a poor work ethic?
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• Do Millennials fear retirement? And at what age do they expect to retire. If at all? • What type of work-related fears do Millennials have? For example, getting stuck with no development opportunities, not being able to realize career goals, and not finding a job that matches your personality.
Millennials believe business should have a clear sense of purpose and should focus on the well-being of employees and the wider community. The Millennial view is that social responsibility should be at the top of the business agenda alongside the pursuit of profit.
Is that an accurate description? OMAN AT WORK 2015
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EVENING 3 MONDAY 14 SEPTEMBER
7.30pm - 9.00pm
Moderator Dr. Sana Al Balushi MINISTRY OF EDUCATION
Panelists
VOCATIONAL TRAINING: Changing Perceptions Apprenticeships and vocational training still have a reputation as a poor relation to university education. In fact, we’ve arrived at a situation where parents and students believe vocational training is a second class route to a career.
Robert MacLean
NATIONAL HOSPITALITY INSTITUTE
Sayyid Nasr Al Busaidi MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT & CLIMATE AFFAIRS
Raza Ashraf TOTAL ALIGNMENT
If Oman’s economic potential and ambitions are to be realized, then we will need a much bigger push for apprenticeships and vocational career pathways. How can we promote apprenticeships and vocational training? How do we get more Omani youth trained as engineers, technicians, electricians, plumbers, mechanics and carpenters? We do it by breaking stereotypes, and it has to start at school, and it has to start with those who influence young people, and that’s parents and teachers.
Hani Al Zubair ZUBAIR CORPORATION
Dr. Tobias Effey GUTECH 10
OMAN AT WORK 2015
Let’s talk it up. In the office, at meetings, in conferences and over Twitter and Facebook. The more conversations we create around apprenticeships and vocational training, their value and benefits and how to embed them, the more perceptions we can change.
Talking Points • Why is vocational education seen as a poor second to academic study? • As the economy continues to move towards more high-skilled occupations, apprenticeships and other forms of vocational training need to offer quality and represent a viable alternative to higher education. They need to attract bright young people and become an essential part of employers’ recruitment mix. How will this be best achieved? • We live in an age where there’s recognition for students who are going to college to become doctors, lawyers and business leaders. But there’s little or no recognition for people who could be very good as electricians, plumbers, carpenters, car mechanics or builders. How can vocational training/apprenticeships change that?
Would company-designed apprenticeships increase the relevance and value of vocational training?
Engaging in apprenticeships is but one of many ways Omani employers can acquire and develop the skills they need, while improving the employability of the nation’s youth. Are there obstacles preventing companies taking on apprenticeships? OMAN AT WORK 2015
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As many as 600,000 US jobs are going unfilled per year. • A report by Deloitte LLP Consulting for the Manufacturing Institute, based on a survey of manufacturers, found that as many as 600,000 US jobs are going unfilled per year. At the lower end of skill jobs there’s always a shortage of welders, grinders and machine operators and most students are simply not interested in these jobs. How do we get Oman’s youth interested in these careers? • If information on vocational training and apprenticeships is limited how are young people expected to make informed choices about qualifications and careers? How do we challenge young people’s perceptions of vocational qualifications? Do we need a national campaign to change the public’s image of vocational training? • Parents are the most widely accessed and the most useful source of information and advice on careers – how do we better reach them and inform them about apprenticeships and vocational training?
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Dr. Mohammed Al Mugheiry BLUE OCEAN CONSULTANCY
Dr. Wael Al Harrasi PETROLEUM DEVELOPMENT OMAN
Dr. Sana Al Balushi MINISTRY OF EDUCATION
Salim Al Mahrooqi TECHNICAL INNOVATION SERVICES
Rayan Al Kalbani MAZOON ENVIRONMENTAL AND TECHNOLOGICAL SERVICES
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OMAN AT WORK 2015
EVENING 4 WEDNESDAY 16 SEPTEMBER
Talking Points 7.30pm - 9.00pm
STEM: Jobs of the Future Science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) workers will drive Oman’s innovation and competitiveness by generating new ideas, new companies and new industries. STEM jobs are the jobs of the future. However, the Omani economy is currently less STEM-intensive than some of its competitors; enhancing our presence in these industries could increase future economic health. In the decades to come, it’s crucial that Oman’s youth be encouraged to pursue career pathways involving science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Both Oman’s traditional and emerging industries will rely on workers in STEM occupations, and a steady supply will help ensure the sultanate’s future economic success.
• “The future of the economy is in STEM,” says James Brown, Executive Director of the STEM Education Coalition in Washington, D.C. “That’s where the jobs of tomorrow will be.” Is he right? If so, what should we be doing about it? • According to the US Department of Labour, only 5% of US workers are employed in fields related to science and engineering, yet they’re responsible for more than 50% of the country’s sustained economic expansion. How should we promote a more positive image of science, raise awareness of science amongst the public and increase student’s interest in science?
40% of US college students
who pursue STEM studies either drop out, change majors or otherwise fail to achieve a STEM degree. How do we ensure Oman’s educational system doesn’t make similar mistakes? OMAN AT WORK 2015
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How can we
include more women in the STEM pipeline?
• How do we encourage deeper public-private partnerships that can help invigorate and maintain students’ interest in STEM? • What are the merits of a national STEM role model campaign? And how could this help inspire Omani youth to pursue STEM-related careers? • Do you feel our schools, colleges and universities understand that STEM education should be a national priority?
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• In common with many countries, we in Oman have accepted that science isn’t for everybody. One of the reasons Omani students aren't more excited about science is that adults aren't excited. Potential STEM students are discouraged before they even get to college. Is this an accurate picture? KNOWLEDGE PARTNER
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OMAN AT WORK 2015
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