DUBAL, the world’s largest single-site smelter using pre-baked anode technology, has recruited 110 UAE nationals in 2012, bringing the total number of new Emirati recruits it has hired since 2008 to 496.

The cost to Dubal of the 2012 recruits - comprising salaries, benefits and training – amounted to Dh25 million ($6.8 million) (equivalent to Dh225,000 per annum per new Emirati employee). 

“The recruitment component of our National Emiratisation Policy is driven largely by Dubal’s dedicated National Development Programmes, where Dubal uniquely offers skills development, training and employment opportunities to UAE nationals at all levels in the secondary and tertiary education spectrum,” says Sultan Al Sabri, vice president, human resources and organisation effectiveness. “These programmes fall within two main categories.

First, high school leavers have the opportunity to enrol for Dubal’s Pre-employment Courses (PECs), which provide theoretical knowledge and practical on-the-job work experience through a combination of formal classroom teaching and hands-on technical training while earning a salary and enjoying additional employment benefits. On completion of their respective programmes, PEC graduates are offered full-time employment at Dubal. Four PEC progammes are offered, namely smelter, power/desalination, technical and apprenticeship – the programmes ranging from six months to two years in duration.

Second, selected university graduates are employed as participants in Dubal’s Graduate Trainee (GT) Programme – an 18-month on-the-job programme that equips them to assume a role as one of Dubal’s first line supervisors. Typically, the GTs hold qualifications in engineering, finance/accounting, business administration, marketing, human resources and information technology.”

Al Sabri said Dubal aims to recruit a further 200 UAE nationals in 2013, and is on track to achieve this target. By end-April 51 UAE nationals had been employed. “As always, Dubal uses virtually every opportunity to engage UAE nationals in our country’s working population,” he says. “This includes our active participation in the ‘career day’ events held at the UAE’s universities and higher colleges as well as the annual Careers UAE exhibition, held in Dubai, and through Dubal hosting ‘open days’ at our Jebel Ali site for selected educational institutes and UAE national employment organisations. In addition, our website – www.dubal.ae – will soon feature a facility for prospective UAE national employees to apply online to participate in our PEC and GT programmes or for job vacancies within Dubal. Together, these initiatives should yield the targeted number of new UAE national employees at Dubal.”