GP Strategies Corp, a provider of global performance improvement solutions, said it has won a multi-year contract from Saudi Electricity Company (SEC) to provide power plant operations training to one of its subsidiaries Saudi Electric Services Polytechnic (SESP).

GP Strategies' training program at SESP will focus on critical skills development and knowledge transfer for safe and efficient plant operations.

The program will take a blended approach, using SESP-supplied training equipment for hands-on training in addition to curriculum from GP Strategies' extensive library of classroom material; self-paced, web-based training lessons from the GPiLearn library; and simulated hands-on training using the GPiLearn Online Simulator for Combined Cycle Power Plants.

All training is customized to SESP's processes and equipment, and facilitated by instructors with extensive experience in the power generation industry. One of the objectives for SESP is to have their students advance to the point of operating a small steam power plant complete with boiler, turbine, condenser and cooling tower.

To ensure this, a formalized set of qualifications was created to measure students' progress and competency. The program leverages GP Strategies' end-to-end understanding of the energy generation industry, power plant equipment and processes, and human performance optimization to help SESP meet their goal of providing highly qualified Saudi technicians.

SESP is undertaking this initiative in support of the Kingdom's policy of Saudization: the national policy to encourage employment of Saudi nationals in the private sector, said a senior official.

SESP's managing director Dr Shaker Al-Mahasana, said: "The partnership with GP Strategies will enhance the quality of the SESP power plant operations programs. It will also open doors for SEC employees for further development in the areas of power plant efficiency and performance enhancement."
 
GP Strategies said its energy services group is a recognized leader for supplying technical training, plant documentation, power plant performance engineering and equipment monitoring and optimization services to the energy industry.

They have been providing these services to power plants across the Middle East since the early 1980s.-TradeArabia News Service