The Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation (ENEC), which oversees the UAE’s Peaceful Nuclear Energy Program, has introduced the Graduate Plant Operator (GPO) Program to develop the next generation of Emirati leaders in nuclear operations.
Open to high-achieving Emirati graduates with a bachelor’s degree in engineering disciplines (Electrical, Mechanical, Nuclear, etc.), the Graduate Plant Operator program offers a pathway to gain comprehensive knowledge, hands-on experience, and operational expertise essential for a career in nuclear energy plant operations and management.
This initiative underscores ENEC’s dedication to fostering local talent that will play a pivotal role in advancing the nation’s nuclear energy sector.
Participants will begin with practical training as Local Operators at the Barakah Nuclear Energy Plant, gaining in-depth knowledge of operational systems. After three years, successful operators will advance to SRO training, an essential leadership role responsible for the safe operation, maintenance, and testing of plant systems.
The Graduate Plant Operator program is one of several education and training initiatives launched by ENEC to ensure a robust pipeline of skilled professionals for the safe and efficient operation of the Barakah Plant throughout its 60-year life span and beyond.
It complements ENEC’s Graduate Development Program (GDP), which offers 12–30 months of structured, workplace-based learning for Emirati graduates across technical and support functions. Admission criteria for both programs are closely aligned.
Mohamed Al Hammadi MD & CEO – ENEC
“The Graduate Plant Operator Program is a strategic investment in our national human capital. By empowering today’s graduates, we are building the UAE’s clean energy legacy, ensuring our plant operates to the highest national and international standards of safety, security, and efficiency. Nuclear energy not only plays a critical role in energy security and sustainability, but given the life cycle of nuclear plants, it has created a sector that offers high-value careers for at least the next 100 years ahead, providing job security for decades.”
Since its inception, ENEC has provided opportunities to over 1,000 Emiratis through various initiatives, including Scholarships, Train for Work, the GDP, the Diploma in Nuclear Technology (DNT), and Internships.
The cutting-edge facilities at Barakah have played a pivotal role in developing a highly skilled team of more than 70 Emirati SROs and ROs, who now form the core of the plant’s 190-strong SRO and RO workforce. This achievement highlights the UAE’s success in cultivating a world-class, locally trained nuclear workforce.
