Sharjah24: Sharjah National Oil Corporation (SNOC) is the recipient of this year’s prestigious “Organisation of the Year for Youth Empowerment” Award. The accolade, announced at a ceremony in conjunction with the 8th Annual GCC GOV HR Summit in Dubai on October 26, is given annually to the organisation that demonstrates exceptional initiative in enabling youth employment in the GCC.

“We are delighted to have been chosen as the winner of this prestigious award. It’s testament to the importance that we place on training and formation at SNOC. The oil and gas market is in chronic need of skilled and qualified national trainees and we are proud that SNOC is able to offer this unique initiative to a new generation of young Emirati professionals. It’s vital that industry leads the way and participates in their growth and development,” said Hatem Al Mosa, CEO of SNOC. 

In July, SNOC completed phase one of its National Development Program (NDP), in collaboration with The Centre of Excellence for Applied Research and Training (CERT) – the training arm of the Higher Colleges of Technology in Dubai. The NDP, aimed at training Emirati university graduates to work in the oil and gas sector, was the first applied learning program of its kind in Sharjah, selecting 14 young Emirati students to train as plant operators. 

The students were taught a variety of technical skills on processes and HSE as well as soft skills in languages and emotional intelligence. 

Mohammed Ahmed Al-Haddi, Human Resources Manager at SNOC, said: “This brand new initiative was created to train fresh graduates in this area of the business, offering the chance for Emirati youth to become potential future leaders in their area of expertise. It will create added value for the candidates themselves, for SNOC and for the oil and gas sector as a whole.”

SNOC launches its second National Development Program in the upcoming months this time focusing on training students towards becoming financial professionals, such as accountants and analysts.