Batelco develops unique training programme for talented engineers

Designing, developing and building Batelco's state-of-the-art new generation network has required not only a major technological shift but also a people shift according to Batelco Group Human Resources General Manager Shaikh Ahmed Al Khalifa.

Shaikh Ahmed said:

"Our people are without doubt the most important element in the development and support of major new technologies and we therefore invest heavily on an annual basis to ensure we provide the necessary training programmes."

"We now need specialisations that were not previously required by us or by any other telcos in the region and have accordingly developed a new progression plan for our engineers that provides them with the opportunity to reach the pinnacle of their profession," he added.

In a first step, Batelco Human Resources Department has created a profile for each of the Company's engineers, placing them in one of four categories, based on their education, training and experience on the job. The categories are Trainee, Network Engineer, Professional Engineer and Specialised Engineer.

As part of the new career progression path, 46 of Batelco's senior engineers travelled to China to be trained in NGN concepts by Huawei, the world renowned next generation telecommunication network solution providers, who are partnering Batelco in the speedy implementation of their NGN project.

A new Laboratory will soon be opened at Batelco Knowledge Hub at Hamala in cooperation with Huawei, where trainer officers will participate in a Train the Trainer programme commencing in the middle of October. They in turn will cascade relevant training to Batelco's engineers of all levels in order to enhance their knowledge.

"Raising the skills of our engineers from legacy to NGN IP was and is a major challenge, but we are confident that our new training and development plan will be very successful,"

said Batelco Network General Manager Ebrahim Zainal.

"Batelco's training plan provides a clear path of progression for all our engineers. Once an employee completes the required training and gains the relevant accompanying experience, he or she will be upgraded to the next level and benefit from a pay rise - it is not dependent on the availability of any vacancy," he said.

"The new Batelco Huawei Laboratory will not only greatly benefit Batelco but also the Kingdom and the region," Shaikh Ahmed continued.

"Training will be available to Batelco staff first, but in the future the facility aims to offer skills and share expertise in next generation telecom technologies with local partners, clients and the industry in the region," he added.

"Batelco's strategy is to provide the opportunity to others in the region, making our expertise available to them from our hub of knowledge," concluded Shaikh Ahmed.