United Arab Emirates: Emirates Global Aluminium, the largest industrial company in the United Arab Emirates outside oil and gas, is recruiting more than 60 young UAE Nationals as the latest entrants to the company’s National Training Programmes through a series of recruitment drives in collaboration with Abu Dhabi’s Department of Government Enablement (DGE).

EGA’s National Training Programmes develop high school leavers for technical roles. More than 5,000 UAE Nationals have graduated from these programmes since they were first established in 1982, with many then having long and successful careers with EGA.

EGA aims to recruit around least 20 women as part of the new trainees cohort. They join 20 women already on the training programmes, after EGA opened them to women for last year. This is the first time EGA has worked with DGE to recruit women for National Training Programmes for front-line operational roles. EGA has long recruited women as graduate trainees, and almost two-thirds of the company’s current cohort are female.

More than 160 women work in Operations at EGA in the UAE, out of a total female workforce of almost 500.

Her Excellency Amal Al Jaberi, DGE representative on Human Resources and Talent Affairs said: "Through this collaboration, we aim to empower UAE National talent and enhance their career development in the industrial sector. We look forward to witnessing their successes as they embark on their professional journey with Emirates Global Aluminium."

She added, "We highly value the significant role of EGA in encouraging jobseekers to engage in this field. We will continue our efforts to nurture UAE National talent and promote their growth and development in cooperation with our strategic partners in both the public and private sectors, effectively contributing to the strategic goals of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi." 

Abdulnasser Bin Kalban, Chief Executive Officer of Emirates Global Aluminium, said: “We have focused on Emiratisation for decades, to secure the talent EGA needs to contribute to the UAE’s industrial growth and economic diversification. We are grateful to DGE for our ongoing partnership in helping us find ambitious young people to join our company.”

EGA employs over 1,200 UAE Nationals in total, and on a like-for-like basis has one of the highest rates of Emiratisation of any major company.

The new recruits will start with intensive training at EGA's technical training centre, which provides programmes certified by the Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA) and Abu Dhabi Centre for Technical and Vocational Training.

The duration of training varies between six months and three years, depending on specific roles. Upon completing their training at the centre, the candidates will receive further practical training on-site at EGA's smelters and power plants before being offered permanent operational roles within the company.

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