UAE-based National Central Cooling Company (Tabreed) has announced the launch of its Ethra’a initiative, a first-of-its-kind knowledge programme to help develop human capital and prepare the district energy sector’s future leaders.

Ethra’a (enrichment in Arabic) aims to build a highly-skilled talent pool and develop human capital by facilitating knowledge sharing and innovation between the industry and academia, said a statement from Tabreed.

It is built on five engagement pillars, with an overall objective to create opportunities for engineering and graduates, by equipping them with the knowledge, skills and competencies to become successful in highly-skilled roles within the district energy sector, it added.

A major Emirati district cooling company, Tabreed said the initiative was also aligned with Abu Dhabi Government economic reform plan ‘Tomorrow 2021’ (Ghadan 2021), which places significant focus on the development of technology, talent and research.  

This will further drive knowledge-based economic growth in line with the Abu Dhabi Economic Vision 2030, and strategic talent development to support environmental sustainability and green economy ambitions outlined in the UAE’s Green Agenda 2030, an overarching framework to transform the country into a green economy, it stated.

On the new initiative, CEO Jasim Husain Thabet said: "As the regional pioneer in district cooling, Tabreed has a responsibility and commitment to developing the next generation of leaders for the district energy sector, by providing high quality training, mentorships and practical experience to engineering and management graduates."
 
"Ethra’a initiative sits at the heart of this commitment, creating stronger links between academia and the industry through greater collaboration on knowledge creation, research, innovation and skills development," he stated.

"This smart and forward-looking approach to education is key to achieving the UAE’s wider vision of developing a thriving, knowledge-based economy," he added.

Earlier this year, Tabreed successfully completed a three-year research and development (R&D) pilot project with Masdar Institute to deliver energy efficiency through enhancing operational performance in district cooling plants.

Also last year, the company had developed over 40 UAE national graduates and employees through different training schemes that offer a chance to build a strong career portfolio through skills development and hands-on experience.-TradeArabia News Service