The second batch of students participating in the 'Developee Engineers Programme' has completed their one-year intensive educational programme at the UAE's Federal Authority for Nuclear Regulation, FANR. The programme's graduates, comprising of eight young Emiratis, will their career in the nuclear energy industry at FANR.

In 2016, FANR launched its Developee Engineers Programme, the first of its kind in the middle east. The programme is designed to provide fresh engineering graduates with fundamental knowledge necessary to understand technical concepts applicable to nuclear engineering and regulation. The goal of the programme focuses on equipping graduates with the skills needed to understand the day-to-day duties of the Operations Division at FANR.

"FANR, being the UAE nuclear regulator, works to ensure the human capital sustainability of the UAE Nuclear Energy Programme. Building and equipping national capacity with necessary skills and knowledge to lead the sector" said Christer Viktorsson, Director-General of FANR.

"Education and training constitute a cornerstone of this knowledge-intensive sector which are necessary to sustain the nuclear power programme," added Viktorsson.

Sustainability of the UAE Nuclear Programme is a priority at FANR, where it develops programmes that ensure human capital are ready to take the helm in the near future.

In 2017, the percentage of Emiratis reached 62 percent of FANR's overall workforce. FANR is currently developing its competency framework for newly recruited Emirati staff members. FANR has adopted the IAEA's Systematic Assessment of the Regulatory Competence Needs, SARCoN, methodology to ensure that its Emirati staff have the competencies they need to carry out the required functions at the nuclear regulatory body.