Across the globe, people are debating the impact of new technologies on the workforce of today and tomorrow. What is immediately clear, however, is that new skills are required to manage and operate these technologies. The question we face is: who will provide the training?

An agreement between Yanbu Technical Institute (YTI) and GE Oil & Gas provides an answer. The two partners will collaborate to develop a state-of-the-art curriculum of courses and instructor capabilities for Saudi technical students. They will be prepared to manage the range of digital industrial applications that are increasingly being deployed in the energy sector.

The program will specifically focus on building Saudi expertise in non-destructive testing, as well as in specialist areas already experiencing a shortage of qualified technicians, such as asset condition monitoring, industrial instrumentation and control systems.

The initiative will draw on capabilities across the GE organization, including GE Oil & Gas; GE Digital Solutions, which is a market leader in both condition monitoring and non-destructive testing; and the GE Inspection Academy, which offers online and live-instructor courses in a wide range of inspection specialties.

Through this partnership, YTI will be able to offer curriculums that give young Saudis the skillsets and operational knowledge required to optimize use of cutting-edge technologies and methodologies needed to support the Kingdom’s industrial sector.

“Today, the digital industrial era has transformed the energy industry, supporting the goals of Saudi Vision 2030 to promote economic and industrial diversification,” said Ed J. Boufarah, Vice President of GE Oil & Gas Digital Solutions – Middle East Africa, Turkey & Pakistan. “Through our partnership with Yanbu Technical Institute, we are nurturing the next generation of technical professionals who will be fully equipped to meet the needs of industry.”