Back in the 1950’s and 1960’s, the limited natural fresh water resources in Kuwait and the high demand for electric power for its rapid modernization and economic growth represented two major challenges for the Kuwaiti Government. Several measures were taken. One of them was the establishment of the Water Resources Development Center The Water Resources Development Center was established in 1968 by the Ministry of Electricity and Water (MEW) with the cooperation of the International Labor Organization (ILO). Initially, the center had three programs: Boilers and Turbines Operation Technology, and Desalination Operation Technology, and Electrical Generator Operation Technology. The purpose of establishing this center was to provide qualified technicians and operators for the power and desalination plants belonging to MEW In 1976, the Ministry of Electricity and Water re-organized its training where all training was done under the Central Training Department. Subsequently, the center was put under this department. At that time, the Water Resources Development Center was renamed the Electricity and Water Training Center. The center’s aim remained to be providing operators and technicians to MEW Just like MEW, several ministries at the 1960’s and 1970’s established their own training centers to provide them with the technicians they needed to perform their work. In 1982, a decision was taken to assemble all of these centers in addition to several colleges from the Ministry of Education in one single organization called the Public Authority for Applied Education and Training (PAAET). Consequently, the Electricity and Water Training Center became under PAAET. Its purpose continued to be, however, the provision of qualified operators and technicians to MEW In 1993, the Electricity and Water Training Center was renamed the Electricity and Water Training Institute with the same previously mentioned purpose. Finally, and to reflect its new focus on serving the entire energy sector and not just MEW’s power plants, the Electricity and Water Training Institute was renamed the High Institute of Energy (HIE) in 2008 |