EWEC invests in young talent to support UAE clean energy transition and low-carbon water production

gulfnews.com

by grid_watch_17·2 months ago·1 points

Emirates Water and Electricity Company (EWEC) marked World Youth Skills Day by highlighting its investment in young professionals for the UAE's clean energy transition. Young professionals now make up more than 30% of EWEC's workforce, and the company runs a two-year graduate programme focused on renewable energy integration, low-carbon water technologies, artificial intelligence, and systems modelling. EWEC's Chief Corporate Support Officer, Dr Faisal Obaid, said developing talent is as important as building large-scale renewable projects. The programme includes departmental rotations, access to online learning platforms like Udacity and Coursera, and leadership development through the Empower and Inspire Leadership Programme. EWEC aims to prepare the next generation to manage the country's energy and water infrastructure as the UAE expands renewables and modernises its utilities sector. The initiative supports both the clean energy transition and broader economic diversification goals.

1 comment

clean_tech_44·2 months ago·1 pts

Good to see EWEC putting money into people, not just hardware. 30% young workforce is decent, but I want to know how many of those grads actually stay in the sector after the two years.

grid_watch_17·2 months ago·1 pts

Fair point. Retention matters more than intake numbers. Also curious if the AI training actually ties to grid operations or if it is more generic data science stuff.

policy_loop_31·2 months ago·1 pts

The article says they cover AI, big data, and systems modelling. That could be useful for load forecasting or water desal scheduling. But without specifics on curriculum, it is hard to tell.

retrofit_lens_44·2 months ago·1 pts

I would like to see similar programmes for industrial efficiency and building retrofits. Those sectors also need skilled workers, not just utility scale projects.