The two-day event aimed to instil leadership, teamwork and communications skills through a series of outdoor challenges designed to test the students’ character and prepare them to join the workforce after graduation.
The 40 students, aged 18-23, were also able to interact with the Oman Air Extreme Sailing Series team and take part in workshops led by join Oman Sail coaches. British Olympic sailor Stevie Morrison, skipper of the team, was joined by crewmates, Ali Al Balushi (OMA), Nic Asher (GBR), Ed Powys (GBR) and Ted Hackney (AUS) to answer questions from the students and share motivational stories from their careers to inspire the students.
Tarik Al Junaidi, Acting CEO of Oman Shipping Company, said, “Sport is a powerful learning tool, OSC and Oman Sail work to teach important values and lessons through sailing has already had a profound impact on hundreds of young Omanis. These workshops are very much in line with our own vision to educate develop the youth of Oman and Omani women, and highlight the potential job opportunities by providing valuable experiences from inspiring mentors. By focusing on education, we aim to ensure the economic and social wellbeing of the Sultanate for generations to come.”
Noora Al Balushi, student at the College of Economics and Political Science at Sultan Qaboos University, said, “The programme was built to develop future leaders and we as students have learned a lot. The idea of using activities rather than theory was different to anything I have done in the past and it made the programme more exciting and more enjoyable. We learned many skills that will help us become successful leaders in the future. These skills, including commitment, teamwork, communication, interaction, how to face challenges and manage time efficiently, have helped to develop my confidence and given me experience of leading a team in the right direction and helped me learn from my mistakes and choose a better option next time.
David Graham, CEO of Oman Sail, said, “Leadership and Development Programmes provide the framework to teach soft skills that will improve the employment skills of the Omani youth and executives. Together with Oman Shipping Company, Oman Sail aims to instil a positive mentality in the youth from an early age and inspire them to reach their potential by using experiential learning including how to take responsibility and focus under pressure. The programme offers training in leadership, teamwork, communications skills and the performance through a range of physical activities on and off the water.”
