Press Release

Press Release

National College of Automotive Technology welcomes the first batch

15th November 2017, Muscat - The National College of Automotive Technology will start in September next year to receive the first batch of 390 diploma learners studying academic and technical courses in seven programmes, five of which are engineering, and two are in business and administration.

The Chairman of College, Maqbool bin Ali Sultan, confirmed that the college seeks to reduce the shortage and need for qualified technicians and specialists in automotive sector jobs in the Sultanate.

He added that the idea of establishing this college was in response to the strategic objective of the Sultanate which is to provide job opportunities for Omani youth through vital activities contributed by the private sector.

He pointed out that studies confirmed that the automotive sector in the Sultanate can contribute effectively towards achieving that goal because of its great potential for employment. The current number of workers in the sector is estimated at 90,000 jobs. Omanis employ less than 10,000 jobs. The Chairman of the College said," One of the findings from these figures is that there is an urgent demand for qualified professionals at the sector. It is possible to meet the demand if there are different, multidisciplinary and vocational programmes offered in line with the needs of the labor market.

He added that a number of companies in the Sultanate, namely: Al Zubair Motors Group, Saud Bahwan Motors, Mohsen Haider Darwish, Bahwan International Holding Group, Al Zawawi Motors, Towell Automotive Center and Musa Abdulrahman Hassan & Co. have agreed to contribute to the establishment of the National College of Automotive Technology, in partnership with Royal Court Affairs.

He stated that vocational training programmes will be offered through the National Automotive Higher Institute founded in 2015. However, the founders continued their efforts to develop the Institute and upgrade it to a college level, in response to the growing needs of the sector. That was motivated and supported by the Education Council. A ministerial resolution No.78/2017 was issued by the Ministry of Higher Education to establish the National College of Automotive Technology.

College Programmes

On the nature of the study programmes, Maqbool bin Ali Sultan said that the programmes offered by the college were carefully designed to provide learners with opportunities to develop their knowledge and specialized skills to ensure optimum level of future career performance.

The College's academic affiliation will be based on close cooperation with a world-renowned university in automotive fields and disciplines. The College has a local institutional affiliation with the German University of Technology and with British Awarding Bodies (Pearson and Institute of The Motor Industry).

It is planned to enroll 390 learners in the academic education and vocational training programmes. The College will offer courses consisting of academic and technical disciplines. Academically: Automotive Engineering and Technology, Automotive Mechanics, Automotive Electronics, Vehicle Painting and Vehicle Body Repair. Where the duration of study in the academic diploma programme is two years and the advanced diploma programme lasts three years in addition to the general foundation programme for one full academic year.

As for professional programmes, the College has introduced a competency-based programme ranging from one to two years according to the level of qualifications. The industrial vocational training programme includes: light vehicles maintenance and repair, heavy vehicles maintenance and repair. The Commercial training programme includes: customer service, vehicle sales and vehicle parts operation, as well as the vocational diploma programme (BTEC).

The Chairman called to join the college, which enables learners obtain locally and internationally accredited qualifications to ensure a promising career future. He also called on various governmental and private institutions to benefit from the programmes offered by the College to achieve their objectives aimed at the development of human resources. Haji Al Balushi, Dean of the College, said that the College is currently working on the design and approval of programmes by external universities approved by the Ministry of Higher Education.

He pointed out that the college will increase the number of admissions gradually in the coming years, as the studies showed that the market needs to graduate 20 thousand students over the first five years of the college, but this huge collaboration of colleges. He explained that the capacity of the college is currently about 1200 students, annually graduating a number of 370 students.

The College looks forward to being the region's leading college in the field of academic education and vocational training to qualify Omani youth in the professions of vehicles, transport and logistics. The College is working to develop the practical and personal skills of students that meet the sector needs.

The National College of Automotive Technology plays a pivotal role in the development of national workforce through the promotion of its programmes and quality of education. The College works to bridge the gap in the labor market in the Sultanate through the application of international education standards for the graduation of qualified national technicians. The College also provides learners with the opportunity to develop their careers and ensures employment opportunities.