Hidroelectrica resumed this year the organization of one of the most prestigious professional competitions in Romania: the Energeticist Trophy. The event, whose development was suspended during the pandemic (2019-2021), is this year at its XXIV edition and is hosted by the Sebeș Hydroelectric Branch – Sibiu Hydroelectric Plant.

The professional contest “Energeticist Trophy”, whose final stage took place on July 14, aims to stimulate the interest and concern of employees for the continuous increase of professional performance and is based on encouraging continuous training and employee training. The targeted professions are: machinist for operation; operation electrician, employees with higher education, locksmith maintenance and repairs of energy aggregates, electrician PRAM-AMC, electrician of maintenance and repairs of energy aggregates.

Substantial prizes awarded – which can reach a gross amount of up to 5,000 euros (equivalent in lei, for the first place winner of the competition with the public), are likely to stimulate both competition and long-term professional excellence. Thus, this year, 229 participants were registered for the tests (Executive, Hidroelectrica Branches, Hidroserv service and hydropower repair sections), for the final phase in the country qualifying 42 of them.

“Staff training is one of the most profitable investments that Hidroelectrica can make. The fact that we have people in our team with exceptional professional qualities helps us to maintain our leading position on the Romanian energy market and urges us to look with confidence at future projects and those we have in progress. We can rely on people, we saw it in the hard times, of the pandemic, we see it in everyday work, a work done with seriousness, loyalty and consistency,” said Bogdan Badea, President of Hidroelectrica.

“We are happy to see that we have very well-trained employees, and that the younger generations are also lagging behind, strong and ambitious. I want to mention that this year we have a candidate who participates for the first time in the Energeticist Trophy, newly hired in Hidroelectrica, in October 2021, and who – at only 25 years old has reached the final stage in the country,” added Bogdan Badea.

Hidroelectrica is concerned with ensuring the exchange of generations, so the company is involved in dual education projects to qualify its potential new employees, in the main trades needed to operate power plants – electrician appliances, electrical and energy equipment and electromechanical industrial machinery and installations. The project takes place in the school years between 2020-2023. Currently, 183 students are enrolled in these programs, benefiting from monthly sholarchips paid by Hidroelectrica.

Also, starting with 2018, the Hidroelectrica Directorate approved 50 private scholarships (30 for students and 20 for students). For the academic/ school year 2022-2023, the selection process continues to fill the remaining 33 private scholarships out of the 50 allocated (18 students and 15 students), respectively: 11 scholarships for students from faculties with energy, hydropower, electrical engineering and electromechanical, distributed in branches; 7 scholarships for students from faculties with profile of hydrotechnical constructions, IT, human resources management, distributed in executives and branches; 15 scholarships for students in pre-university vocational and technical education with energy, electrotechnical and electromechanical profile, distributed in branches.

The value of the monthly scholarship for students is of 1,000 lei, 10 months per year, and the value of the monthly scholarship for high-schoolers is of 600 lei, 10 months per year.

In addition, since 2022, Hidroelectrica has been running attractive internship programs, especially for the operation of power plants, and the best interns, who obtain the grade “very good”, will be employed in the trades and positions for which they prepared.

Also, the company offers the possibility of professional practice in Hidroelectrica power plants to a number of about 160 students and master students from some of the most prestigious universities in the country: Polytechnic University of Bucharest; Bucharest Academy of Economic Studies, University of Craiova; “Lucian Blaga” University of Sibiu; „Gheorghe Asachi” Technical University of Iași; “Vasile Alecsandri” University of Bacau and the University of Oradea.