Representatives from the Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development, known as the Kuwait Fund, recently visited construction and engineering major Fluor’s Farnborough office to monitor its ongoing training initiative for Kuwaiti engineers. 

 

The engineers are spending six months in the UK working with Fluor’s engineering teams as part of a one-year training programme organised jointly by Fluor and the Kuwait Fund. 

 

“Fluor is proud of its long relationship with the Kuwait Fund and role in training Kuwaiti graduate engineers so that they can work effectively in the engineering and construction sector to bring  knowledge and experience back to Kuwait,” said Al Collins, president of Fluor’s Energy & Chemicals business in Europe, Africa and Middle East. 

 

“This collaboration has been beneficial for all involved as seeing young engineers develop their technical skills as well as witnessing their personal development is extremely rewarding.” 

 

“Fluor UK’s involvement in this training program began in 2013 when the company hosted the first Kuwaiti engineers at Fluor’s Farnborough office,” said Ashley Rees, managing director and vice president of Fluor in the UK. “Fluor was committed to making this initiative a success, which required working with the UK Government to assist the process, and the results demonstrate this effort was worthwhile and definitely strengthened our ties with Kuwait.” 

 

The graduates, holding degrees in engineering disciplines including chemical, electrical, mechanical, telecommunications and civil engineering, traveled to Fluor’s Farnborough office for the six-month practical experience training period. Training and development plans were created for each trainee who was assigned an experienced mentor to manage the training content, including the use of Fluor’s systems and tools as well as software to simulate real-time engineering tasks.   

 

“Fluor is a valuable partner in the success of the training program for Kuwaiti newly graduated engineers and architects,” said Nedhal Al Olayan, director of the Training Center Department at Kuwait Fund. “Our program provides many opportunities for high-performing graduates to enhance their knowledge in engineering and to provide them with skills required by the private sector in the shortest period possible. Fluor has been instrumental to the success of meeting this objective and has played a major role in working with the UK Government and other regulatory establishments to meet required procedures.” 

 

One of the earliest graduates was Noura Almansour, a recently qualified chemical engineer, who traveled to the UK in 2013 for her first experience of living abroad and independently.  At first, she found the experience challenging, but quickly felt accepted as a colleague and member of the Fluorfamily. In addition to undertaking training relevant to her core process engineering skills, Almansour was an active member of Fluor’s Graduates Advancing towards Professionalism (GAPSM) organisation.  

 

Almansour said: “Participating in the GAP events allowed me to meet many interesting people from different backgrounds and origins which enriched my knowledge and inspired me to pursue higher education as most GAP members have post-graduate degrees.  I found the experience fulfilling as it has had a positive impact on my life.” 

 

A more recent graduate, Meshal Adel Abdulsalam, a civil engineering trainee in the Kuwait Fund program, just completed his assignment with Fluor and said: “I joined the civil, structural and architectural team in Farnborough, and working with my mentor, I enhanced my knowledge from an academic approach to that of a professional engineer. Upon completion of my training I will take up a job offer from one of Kuwait’s national petroleum companies where I will put my experience to good use for my new employer. I made the most of my free time exploring the UK so that I have a wealth of memories, experiences and friendships from my time with Fluor.”   

 

After the trainees have completed a six-month assignment, they join companies based in Kuwait, including Fluor’s office, for the final three-month on-the-job training element of the program. Graduates are provided with the opportunity to implement their acquired knowledge and experience to work on actual projects.   

 

“Fluor’s office in Kuwait is proud to have been involved with the Kuwait Fund trainees during their final phase of on-the-job construction training as part of Fluor's projects with Kuwait Oil Company as well as projects for Kuwait National Petroleum Company," said Zouzou Khalil, Fluor program project director in Kuwait. 

 

Set up in 1961 by the State of Kuwait, the Kuwait Fund was the first institution in the Middle East to take an active role in international development efforts. In 2004, the Kuwait Fund started a new initiative to provide recently-qualified graduate Kuwaiti engineers and architects with the skills and knowledge required by the private sector. An additional objective was to create operational links between international and Kuwait companies to assist in the technical and personal development of these young individuals. 

 

Fluor’s Farnborough office serves a wide range of industries including energy, chemicals, government, industrial, infrastructure, mining and power.  -- Tradearabia News Service