The Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation (ENEC), the entity responsible for delivering the UAE Peaceful Nuclear Energy Program, has launched the Graduate Plant Operator (GPO) Program to nurture the next generation of Emirati nuclear operations leaders. This initiative reinforces ENEC’s commitment to investing in national talent who will drive the country’s nuclear operations forward.

Open to high-achieving Emirati graduates with a bachelor’s degree in engineering disciplines (Electrical, Mechanical, Nuclear, etc.), the programme offers a pathway to gain comprehensive knowledge, hands-on experience, and operational expertise essential for a career in nuclear energy plant operations and management.

Participants will begin with practical training as Local Operators at the Barakah Nuclear Energy Plant, gaining in-depth knowledge of operational systems. After three years, successful operators will advance to SRO training — an essential leadership role responsible for the safe operation, maintenance, and testing of plant systems.

His Excellency Mohamed Al Hammadi, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of ENEC, said: “The Graduate Plant Operator Program is a strategic investment in our national human capital. By empowering today’s graduates, we are building the UAE’s clean energy legacy, ensuring our plant operates to the highest national and international standards of safety, security, and efficiency. Nuclear energy not only plays a critical role in energy security and sustainability, but given the life cycle of nuclear plants, it has created a sector that offers high-value careers for at least the next 100 years ahead, providing job security for decades.”

The GPO Program is one of several education and training initiatives launched by ENEC to ensure a robust pipeline of skilled professionals for the safe and efficient operation of the Barakah Plant throughout its 60-year life span and beyond. It complements ENEC’s Graduate Development Program (GDP), which offers 12–30 months of structured, workplace-based learning for Emirati graduates across technical and support functions. Admission criteria for both programmes are closely aligned.

Since its inception, ENEC has empowered more than 1,000 Emiratis through programmes such as Scholarships, Train for Work, the GDP, the Diploma in Nuclear Technology (DNT), and Internships. State-of-the-art facilities at Barakah have enabled ENEC to cultivate a team of more than 70 Emirati SROs and ROs, forming the backbone of the plant’s 190-strong SRO and RO workforce — a testament to the UAE’s success in building a world-class local nuclear workforce.

Emirati graduates interested in learning more about ENEC’s opportunities can visit: https://careers.nawah.ae/go/Youth-Development-Program/4168422/.