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Hamed Saif Al Hadhrami, Petroleum Development Oman, OmanAbstract
This paper examines the design, implementation and challenges of Oman’s national work placement initiative as a strategic response to graduate employability challenges and labour market misalignments. Framed within Oman Vision 2040, which emphasises human capital development as a pillar of economic diversification, the programme seeks to bridge the persistent gap between academia and industry by embedding structured, long-term work placements across higher education institutions and industry partners. Grounded in Kurt Lewin’s (1946) Action Research (AR) cycle, the study employs an iterative, participatory methodology involving problem diagnosis, planning, implementation and reflection. Mixed methods, including surveys, observations and performance metrics, were used to capture the perspectives of students, academia and employers. Findings demonstrate that while traditional short-term internships offer limited exposure (Al-Lamki, 2002; Jackson, 2015; Reddy & Moores, 2012), structured placements provide more meaningful opportunities for skills development, academic improvement and professional readiness. At the same time, the initiative encountered significant challenges, including time-intensive cycles, complex stakeholder coordination, scalability across diverse institutions, limited organisational development frameworks and data collection constraints. These challenges highlight the realities of scaling participatory reform in contexts requiring sustained collaboration between universities, industry and government. The National work placement Program represents a regionally pioneering model of work-integrated learning, distinguished as the only long-term national framework that unites all higher education institutions in Oman under a single, coordinated structure to deliver standardised, large-scale work placement opportunities across multiple sectors. The paper concludes that the Action Research approach offers a robust and adaptive framework for institutionalising work-integrated learning in Oman.
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Conference: ACEID2026Stream: Learning Experiences
This paper is part of the ACEID2026 Conference Proceedings (View)
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To cite this article:
Hadhrami H. (2026) Bridging the Gap Between Academia and Industry: Oman National Work Placement Implementation Approach Using Action Research Cycle ISSN: 2189-101X – The Asian Conference on Education & International Development 2026 Official Conference Proceedings (pp. 1-20) https://doi.org/10.22492/issn.2189-101X.2026.1
To link to this article: https://doi.org/10.22492/issn.2189-101X.2026.1
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