Seychelles join Global Employment Market of AEE Certified Professionals

Victoria, Seychelles – From the 14th of January 2019 to the 18th of February 2019, 16 individuals from various backgrounds in Seychelles partook in a training program developing capacity towards Certification as Energy Auditors with the Association of Energy Engineers (AEE). The training was fully funded and organized by the GOS-UNDP-GEF Resource Efficiency (RE) project – a project which is put in place to foster the promotion and adoption of Energy Efficiency technologies in Seychelles. The program was provided by AEE’s approved training partner, the Energy Training Foundation FTI, with the aim to develop the capacity and careers of a group of individuals in Seychelles to bolster the energy efficiency sector.

Globally energy efficiency has contributed to economic development and sustainable growth when approached correctly. The cost to produce energy in Seychelles is much higher than most of the other nearby countries, making any opportunities explored to save energy in Seychelles much more attractive in terms of return on investment. Education will be key in achieving success in energy efficiency so that Seychellois can grasp the concepts themselves and be able to identify cost and energy reduction opportunities whichever industry they are working in.

The 16 particpants are in-service individuals ranging from Electricians, Quantity Surveyors, Architects, Finance, just to name a few. The GOS-UNDP-GEF RE project in collaboration with Seychelles Energy Commission (SEC) wanted to develop the Energy Auditor professionals to support the local companies, organisations and individuals who wants to become more efficient in their business and day to day living. 

The participants are now equipped to conduct energy audits on buildings and provide competent advice to customers on energy efficient technologies, processes and systems. The Seychelles Energy Commission believes that by extending training and development programmes such as these, they can improve skills to ensure the continual integration of cutting-edge expertise and knowledge in the two sectors to help customers to replace energy intensive technologies with energy efficient solutions.

Once fully Certified, there will be a pool of CEA® which companies from Seychelles can use – lessening the need to seek such services elsewhere. It is to be noted that the qualified CEA® will also be registered online through the Seychelles Energy Commission platform and the international Association of Energy Engineers (AEE) online register of energy professionals. This will qualify Seychellois CEAs to work globally as their certification is transferrable to other countries such as South Africa, United Kingdom, Kenya, Zimbabwe, Mauritius, Namibia, Uganda, UAE, Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Egypt among about 100 countries.

The training was two-fold, with both the theoretical and practical aspects. Feedback from the participants has been positive in that many aspects unknown were highlighted. One candidate said the biggest take away from the program was to learn of the effects and impacts that climate change may have on a small island such as Seychelles and learning how to approach the way forward to prevent catastrophic disasters from destroying it “this program was thought provoking and will help contribute to developing Seychelles”, he said.

At the closing ceremony where certificates and reports were handed out it was clear that the experience on this month long Energy Auditing Training program that included theory, practicals at the Amirante Fisheries and Surgical Ward at Victoria Hospital, and tests and examinations, changed the group’s perception about the energy market and aided to their personal career development. “It was an unexpected journey of enlightenment”, one candidate commented.

Jude Marie from Cable & Wireless said in his address to the audience “It hasn’t just been a training it has been an empowerment of lifeskills, empowering Seychelles to move forward in terms of energy efficiency, and he hopes what they have learnt will help make Seychelles greener”; he further said he had initially come on the program out of curiousity and personal experience, but said “I soon realised it is much deeper than this, more potent and richer than what I expected, I learnt a lot”. 

The GOS-UNDP-GEF RE project would like to congratulate the 16 individuals who were steadfast in their learning, with their friendly camaraderie and zeal for excellence. Already, 6 individuals from the group have achieved international Certification with AEE.

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About the GOS-UNDP-GEF Projects

Seychelles is highly dependent on imported oil to meet its energy needs: 90% of the primary energy supply comes from imported fuel, with imports of fuel for electricity generation alone accounting for 12% of the total Government budget. This heavy reliance on imported fossil fuels places a heavy pressure on the country’s foreign exchange reserves, exacerbates state budget deficits, and poses major energy security concerns, both in terms of access to supplies and pricing. The Seychelles Government aim to transform the country’s energy sector to renewable energy  and more resource-efficient  technologies with the support of the United Nations Programme Development (UNDP) and Global Environment Facility (GEF) through projects: the Resource Efficiency Project and Photovoltaic Project.

Resource Efficiency Project

The GOS-UNDP-GEF Resource Efficiency Project (RE Project) aims to increase market penetration of energy-efficient technologies, products and services in Seychelles. It aims to achieve this through four main components:

• Legislative, institutional and fiscal frameworks improvement;
• Awareness raising and educational campaigns for selected target audiences;
• Schemes to develop the skills and certify the qualifications of selected and new professional categories;
• Facilities to manage the residues of obsolete electric and electronic equipment and to finance the acquisition of new and resource efficient technologies.

About the Seychelles Energy Commission

Seychelles Energy Commission (SEC) was set up in 2009 under the Seychelles Energy Commission Act of 2009, which was replaced by the Seychelles Energy Act 2012, encompassing the regulation, management, development and utilization of energy resources in Seychelles.. The object of the Commission is to regulate electricity related activities for adequate, reliable, cost effective and affordable electricity while protecting and conserving the environment. The Commission regulates the generation, transmission, distribution, supply and use of electricity. In addition, the Commission promotes the use of energy efficient technologies and renewable resources. 

Originally Released by:
The MEDIA office of The Energy Training Foundation FTI
FTI Campus, Monyetla Office Park Block C, 1 Inyanga Close, Sunninghill
Communications: [email protected]•084 622 4770