EGA recruitment of UAE National graduate trainees reaches 60 so far in 2017

Over 130 graduate trainees currently on 18-month programmes with EGA in total

United Arab Emirates, 22 October 2017: Emirates Global Aluminium, the largest industrial company in the United Arab Emirates outside oil and gas, has recruited 60 UAE National graduate trainees since the start of 2017.

With the intake so far in 2017, EGA currently has over 130 graduate trainees on 18-month programmes with the company. On completion of their training programmes, graduate trainees take front-line supervisor roles in EGA.

EGA’s develops customised development plans for each graduate trainee, with on-the-job training, technical skills development, and management and leadership competency development programmes.

EGA has recruited UAE National graduates for decades. Seven members of EGA’s 11-strong Executive Committee originally joined EGA as fresh graduates.

Abdulla Kalban, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer at EGA, said: “EGA employs 7,000 people in the UAE and it is important to us continually to recruit the best people for our future. I welcome these ambitious graduates to our business. Our long-standing graduate training scheme also enables us to contribute to the achievement of the 'UAE Vision 2021' goal of harnessing the full potential of the UAE's human capital.”

Mr Kalban joined EGA as a graduate trainee in 1985.

Graduate trainees at EGA have typically studied electrical, mechanical, chemical or mechatronics engineering, although EGA also looks for graduates in finance, accounting, HR, marketing, supply chain and other disciplines.

Abdulaziz Ibrahim Alsafran, a graduate trainee in the potlines at EGA’s aluminium smelter at Jebel Ali, who studied Mechanical Engineering at Dubai Men’s College said: “The graduate trainee program at EGA has opened my eyes to new opportunities and given me room to grow whilst supporting the development of our country. Working in a challenging area like the potlines, I’ve had full support from my management and fellow colleagues to overcome whatever obstacle comes my way and focus my energy towards learning and improving myself both personally and professionally.”

Dalal Mustafa, who studied at University of Oregon and is now a graduate trainee in the Human Capital department at EGA, said: “The Graduate Trainee programme here at EGA is a great opportunity to discover myself more. It has also helped me paint a picture of who I want to become and what I want to accomplish in the future. The training we get, the workshops and the effort invested in us, proves what this company stands for and believes in - us.”

EGA’s workforce includes almost 1,200 UAE Nationals.

More than 40 per cent of those holding the top 250 positions in the company as well as more than a third of the 1,800 people in EGA’s supervisory positions and above are UAE Nationals.

EGA aims to Emiratise 40 per cent of in-focus positions, or positions that can feasibly be Emiratised, by 2020.

On a like-for-like basis, EGA already has one of the highest rates of Emiratisation of any major company.