Around 600 Emirati and international high school students are taking part in this year’s Young Adipec programme, thus receiving a first-hand insight into the many career options available in the nation’s vital oil and gas industry.

First held in 2013, it is the youth outreach initiative of the Abu Dhabi International Petroleum Exhibition and Conference (Adipec), and has already hosted more than 1,900 students aged 14 to 17 in its first five years.

The event aims to win the hearts and minds of today’s youth by connecting them directly with professional role-models and industry executives to obtain a first-hand insider’s view of the industry, said a senior official.

For employers, the programme helps them solve important human capital challenges, enticing millennials and the emerging generation of digital natives into the workplace.

"Oil and gas has an endless need for engineers and managers, but the options go far beyond those roles that people immediately think of when they consider working in the industry," remarked Jean-Philippe Cossé, Vice President, dmg::events Middle East.

"A prime example is the wave of digitalisation sweeping through the industry, which is creating jobs in cutting-edge tech areas such as big data analytics, robotics, 3D printing, and artificial intelligence. Oil and gas companies need young graduates with these skills," he stated.

Participants for Young Adipec have been selected from 20 government and private schools, nominated by a teacher on the basis of aptitude, outlook and academic performance. They receive expert guidance on careers available and the qualifications they will need to land their dream job.-TradeArabia News Service