Saudi Arabia's energy sector is estimated to provide around 65,000 job opportunities in 20 years, according to an energy specialist.
Abdulkarim Al-Ghamdi, National Power Academy board chairman, affirmed that there is a manpower gap in the energy field.
The academy aims to admit 2,000 students in six main majors by 2022.
Several energy specialist companies like General Electric, Siemens and some local firms are cooperating with the Academy.
NPA is also benefiting from the cooperation between several government agencies like the Human Resources Development Fund, the Technical and Vocational Training Corporation (TVTC), the Saudi Electricity Company (SEC), the King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals (KFUPM) and others, said Ghamdi.
During a news conference held at the academy headquarters on Tuesday, on the sidelines of welcoming the first batch of NPA students for 2018-2019, he said the institution was established based on a model to keep up with the requirements of the electrical energy sector and its national industry.
NPA is the only academy in the region that enjoys a strategic partnership with a US government college specialized in the energy field, such as Bismarck State College, Ghamdi added.
Ahmed Al-Essa, the NPA executive director, stated that the academy is working on fulfilling a growing demand by inaugurating the first phase of NPA operations to receive 700 students annually, in addition to expanding admissions into 2,000 students on a yearly basis by 2022.
