UAE-based Etihad Rail DB has joined forces with the Abu Dhabi Vocational Education and Training Institute (Adveti) to launch the country’s first rail diploma as part of its efforts to develop a highly-skilled Emirati workforce for the railway industry.

The operations and maintenance arm for Stage One of the UAE’s national railway network, Etihad Rail DB said the move comes following the signing of a MoU between the duo and Etihad Rail last year.

The agreement creates occupational training and shared learning opportunities for the young Emirati students, and the participants will be able to specialise in one of four professions - train captain, train controller, rolling stock technician and systems technician.

The programme kicked off on August 20 with a railway induction week in Munich, Germany, to prepare the Emirati students for future careers in the rail industry.

Senior Etihad Rail DB and Adveti officials led the trip which included various learning and networking sessions. The group visited different DB railway facilities along with a simulation training facility and an operations control centre.

In September, the first batch, comprising 10 Emirati students, began the three-year Rail Diploma programme. The first two years will be spent with Adveti at Baynounah Institute of Science and Technology in Al Dhafra Region, with the final year focusing on functional training at Etihad Rail DB.

The practical year will be split between Etihad Rail DB’s headquarters in Mirfa, in Al Dhafra Region, and Doncaster, in the UK, with DB Cargo.

"We are delighted to achieve this milestone, and to sponsor and develop these bright Emirati talents who will form the bedrock of the UAE’s growing railway industry," remarked Abdul Muhsen Younus, the chairman of Etihad Rail DB.

"The rollout of the Rail Diploma falls in line with our mandate to help realise UAE Vision 2021, facilitating a national transition into a globally competitive and knowledge-based economy," stated Younus.

Dr Abdulrahman Jassim Al Hammadi, the managing director of Adveti, said: "It’s an honour for us to be able to contribute to the UAE emerging railway market and to ensure business continuity and sustainability for the transportation infrastructure across the UAE through an initiative such as this."

"In all we do, we look to adopt the very best global practices and training methods. That’s why our partnership with Etihad Rail DB is so special, as it is one of the leading railway operators in the region," added Al Hammadi.-TradeArabia News Service