"I began my career with Saudi Electricity Company (SEC) as a junior engineer and I was the only Saudi national working at one of SEC's sub-station projects at that time and I believe your passion and belief in yourself and your abilities will help you achieve your goals," said Ayesh L. Al Shemari, Senior Vice President, General Services at SEC. He was addressing the Saudi Graduate Engineer Trainees' (GET) induction program which was organized by L&T Construction, India's largest construction conglomerate, at the Park Inn Hotel, Al- Khobar recently. The 16 GETs selected from the King Fahd University of Petroleum & Minerals, Prince Mohammed University, University of Dammam, King Faisal University and Jubail University College will undergo 12 months' on-the-job as well as off-the-job training in planning, design, quality management, safety, operation and tendering contracts management. An exclusive 3-stage in-house, on-the-job training has been planned for these GETs at L&T project sites in India, training institutes in Chennai, the Learning & Development Centre in Lonavala (Mumbai) and the L&T Training Institute in Mysore. "Larsen & Toubro Saudi Arabia (LTSA) has been engaged by SEC & National Grid (NG) for the execution of various power projects in KSA and this unique initiative by L&T of selecting their first batch of fresh GET Trainees from the universities in Saudi Arabia is commendable," said Al Shemari, adding that "I would like to appreciate L&T's initiatives which are in keeping with the Saudi Vision 2030 of providing training and employment to local manpower. Our country has high expectations from you all," Al Shemari added. Bassem G, Divisional Manager of National Grid said: "We appreciate L&T for taking such an initiative to develop fresh engineering graduates and to groom them to take on challenging assignments. This is indeed a good model to encourage young local graduates and needs to be adopted by more companies in the country. We behold with great pride and immense pleasure the success of our youth who are on the verge of embarking on the next phase of their professional career. I understand that you will have the opportunity to be trained in L&T's institutions. You would be carrying the message that best represents our country and portrays the essence of our values wherever you travel," he further added. The newly inducted engineers said: «It is an honor to be a member of this giant company. We would like to mention our admiration for the professional management of the company in successfully implementing a wide diversity of sectors and projects in many parts of the world. This is an excellent opportunity for us to earn and develop our skills and abilities.» The function was also graced by several senior executives from L&T including S. L. Mahajan - VP & Head Power Transmission & Distribution (PT&D) KSA; Srikant Srinivasan - VP & Head HR PT&D, V. Babu, Head HR PT&D Middle East and senior officers from Aramco. Larsen & Toubro is an Indian multinational engaged in technology, engineering, construction, manufacturing and financial services with $16 billion in revenue. It operates in over 30 countries worldwide. A strong, customer–focused approach and the constant quest for top-class quality have enabled L&T to attain and sustain leadership in its major lines of business for over seven decades. — SG
