Shinas VTC is one of seven VTCs in Oman under the Ministry of Manpower. Situated in Shinas, a small town at the coast of North Batinah region, with a distance of 297.7 Kilometers heading to United Arab Emirates from Oman’s capital city- Muscat, the place is a perfect haven for people who want to stay away from a crowded and congested places.
In a bit distant from the shoreline, Shinas VTC together with Shinas College of Technology is conspicuous just along the highway heading to Dubai’s Hatta Border in UAE. If you happen to pass along this road from Sohar, there are three obvious buildings on the left (right after turning left at Aqur roundabout) if you are heading to Hatta. The first one is Shinas College of Technology, Shinas Vocational Training Center (Shinas VTC) at the middle and Shinas High School on the other side.
This is part of the Sultanate’s strategy for nation building by enhancing the youth to embrace learning and education to develop industry based skills that would somehow open the door to future progress in the country. Between 2007 and 2008, Shinas VTC and other Vocational Training Centers were made available to provide the youth with opportunity to learn and discover their own potentials.
With the collaboration of local professionals and expat instructors from Philippines, India, Egypt, Tunisia and Jordan, Shinas VTC has been harmoniously fulfilling its role for the country’s progress and development. Shinas VTC offers formal and non-formal training in various fields of technology such as Mechatronics, Electronics, Electrical, Welding and Fabrication and Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Technology.
Students who want to enroll at Shinas VTC are required to pass a kind of entrance test. This exam is intended to dig upon the students’ background about general information and basic technological application relevant to a certain trade. When admitted, as required by the Ministry of Manpower, they are required to undergo preparatory course that would enhance their communication skills in English language. This is called English Foundation Program which has been implemented in all VTCs in Oman since 2013.
This is a vital strategy to create world-class skilled professionals by inculcating on the minds of the youth that English proficiency is somehow a concrete vehicle towards international competitiveness and opportunities. This course must be completed in span of 1 year and 3 months, before students will be introduced to some Diploma Programs in fields of technology mentioned above. Students who may not incline to take workshop studies in those fields may have an option to pursue a post foundation course major in Business and Entrepreneurship.
During post foundation training, aside from major subjects, students are required to take academic subjects such as IT, Math, Physics, Technical Drawing, Chemistry and Entrepreneurship. Post foundation courses are offered for 2 years. Each academic year has 3 semesters in which rigid training in terms of workshop activities and project making is where students spend most of their time. This helps students to develop not only skills, but also a positive attitude and self-confidence towards achieving a certain goal relevant to their field of study.
Shinas VTC Students
Shinas VTC students are few among the lucky students who enrolled at Vocational Training Centers in Oman. This is due to the fact that, Shinas VTC is one of the two VTCs that uses English language as medium of instruction. In other VTCs, even if it has been mandatory to use English language when delivering a lesson, they are still using Arabic, especially those dominated by Arabic-Speaking teachers from Egypt, Tunisia and Jordan.
During school days, students who have a class schedule in the morning must be in their respective classrooms 10 minutes before the time schedule (at 8:00 am) as well as the teachers. Many students (mostly ladies) arrived on time via service buses. Some students who came from distant places are also renting some flats in vicinity near the center.
All regular classes end before 2:00 PM. Some short course programs may last until 4:00PM depending on the number of students and availability of the teachers. Short course means, a short term training that is focused only on developing student’s skills within a specific area of technology. This may no longer require students to take English Foundation Course.
Shinas VTC Teachers
For major subjects in Diploma Program, teachers are mostly expats from Philippines, India, Egypt and other neighboring Arab countries. This is also the scenario in academic subjects. But for English Foundation Course, English teachers were mostly local professionals who were well-versed in English and they were all qualified local English teachers.
Shinas VTC teachers are compensated by the Ministry of Manpower through the sponsorship of local manpower services in Oman. These employment agencies are in charge for all benefits and legalities of an expat teacher hired by the ministry. In some cases, there were some teachers who were directly hired by the Ministry of Manpower. In that case, compensation structure as well as benefits might differ from non-ministry hired teachers.
The month of July and August are the most anticipated time for all VTC staffs and teachers, not only in Shinas but also among other VTCs and Colleges in the sultanate of Oman. It is the time to rest (vacation) and everybody must go home to their own country. Classes will resume on the first week of September every year and that would be the beginning of another academic year.
