State Electric Company Limited (STELCO) Managing Director Ali Azwar has said the company’s engineering workforce is entirely Maldivian, describing the achievement as a source of pride as the country works to develop greater local expertise in technical fields.
In a message marking National Engineers’ Day, Azwar said engineering remains a field with significant opportunities for young Maldivians despite the relatively small number of students currently choosing to pursue engineering studies.
He said STELCO places particular emphasis on training and developing young engineers, with the company seeking to build a new generation of professionals capable of working with rapidly evolving technologies.
Azwar described engineering as a critical component of national development and said STELCO is prepared to provide opportunities for young people interested in building careers in the sector.
“STELCO is always ready to welcome youth in order to build a capable generation proficient in the world’s latest technologies,” he said.
Highlighting the company’s own workforce, Azwar said 100 percent of engineers currently working at STELCO are Maldivians.
He said these engineers carry significant responsibilities across the company’s operations and are central to maintaining the round-the-clock electricity services provided to the public.
As a state-owned electricity utility, STELCO’s engineering requirements span areas including power generation, transmission and distribution, mechanical systems and increasingly renewable energy and other emerging technologies.
Azwar also acknowledged the contribution of senior engineers who entered the profession at a time when opportunities for engineering education and technical training were considerably more limited in the Maldives.
He paid tribute to former STELCO engineers who have since retired and remembered employees who passed away after contributing to the company’s development.
The company has continued to invest in strengthening the technical capabilities of its workforce, with Azwar saying STELCO engineers have been sent to European countries for specialised, international-standard training.
A significant proportion of the company’s engineering workforce has also been developed through training provided or facilitated by STELCO itself.
According to Azwar, the company provided 535 training opportunities to employees in 2024, with the figure rising to 947 last year, reflecting an expansion of staff development programmes.
His remarks come as the government places increased emphasis on developing a larger domestic engineering workforce.
President Dr Mohamed Muizzu, speaking with Maldives National University engineering students in connection with Engineers’ Day, said he wants more Maldivians to graduate in essential engineering disciplines and take up technical positions currently requiring foreign expertise.
The President has also announced plans to establish an advanced engineering research and testing laboratory in the Maldives, covering fields including civil, mechanical, electrical and electronics engineering, software, aeronautics, robotics, artificial intelligence and digital engineering.
Azwar extended Engineers’ Day greetings to Maldivian engineers working both in the country and overseas, as well as President Muizzu, while emphasising the role engineers continue to play in the Maldives’ development.
