RIYADH: GE signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Saudi Electric Services Polytechnic (SESP), a leading center of vocational learning in power utility technical education, to train Saudi youth for professional careers in the power sector. The MOU was signed by Laith Ahamed Al Bassam of SESP and Hisham Al Bahkali of GE at a ceremony held at Saudi Electricity Forum in Riyadh. Al Bassam, chairman of board of Saudi Electric Services Polytechnic, said, “Our young people are our biggest resource, and by strengthening their skills and preparing them for careers in the power sector, we aim to build a strong talent pool of technical professionals in the Kingdom. This supports the goals of Saudi Vision 2030 and positions SESP as a key provider of world-class technical training in the power industry. GE has the knowledge and expertise that will ensure that our educational programs help build professionals who understand and can contribute to the current and future needs of the industry.”
The agreement will provide training for Saudi youth and technical professionals to strengthen their skills, and empower them to serve the power and utilities sector of the Kingdom, with GE bringing in its extensive technical knowledge and world-class training approaches. Hisham Al Bahkali, GE’s president & CEO for Saudi Arabia and Bahrain, said, “Strengthening the skills of Saudi professionals and supporting technical education in the Kingdom has always been a top priority for GE. We are committed to building Saudi human capital, enabling them to secure high-quality jobs in the energy industry and be active partners in our nation’s growth. Complementing the human resources development strategy of Saudi Vision 2030, the agreement with SESP further underlines our commitment to be a leading partner in the transformational progress of the Kingdom.”
As an example of the collaboration between a leading Saudi educational provider with a global technology leader, the MOU will lead to a comprehensive vocational learning and training program that builds the right skills and capabilities needed for the future of the Saudi energy industry. It meets SESP’s vision of providing world-class education that will secure employment opportunities for Saudi youth in leading entities such as Saudi Electricity Company. GE will work with SESP not only to develop comprehensive curricula but also in developing certified courses, leadership programs and specialists’ programs. GE has over eight decades of partnership in the Kingdom. It has over 4,000-strong workforce, including Baker Hughes, a GE company, with 50 percent of its talent in highly skilled engineering and technology roles. GE also aims to double leadership, technical and engineering training across sectors to over 10,000 Saudi professionals through local and global programs. A key partner in the Kingdom’s power sector, GE has more than 500 gas turbines installed in Saudi Arabia, which provide over 50 percent of the country’s electricity.
GE is the world’s digital industrial company, transforming industry with software-defined machines and solutions that are connected, responsive and predictive. GE is organized around a global exchange of knowledge, the “GE Store,” through which each business shares and accesses the same technology, markets, structure, and intellect. Each invention further fuels innovation and application across our industrial sectors. With people, services, technology and scale, GE delivers better outcomes for customers by speaking the language of industry. Its partner in this deal, Saudi Electric Services Polytechnic (SESP) was established in September 2012 and is a leading center of vocational learning in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in power utility industry technical education. As an approved Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) center, SESP’s SQA-accredited qualifications are based on bespoke unit standards with competency-based learning outcomes. In the Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework (SCQF), credit points are calculated by determining the amount of ‘notional learning time’ the average learner requires to prove their competence. One SCQF credit point equates to ten hours of notional learning time.
