The Association of Energy and Electrical Engineers – AIEE announces the successful conclusion of the first edition of the “Dispatcher for a Day” project, a professional training programme for young energy engineers. For two months, from 10 March to 10 May 2025, six young engineers benefited from a unique practical experience in the dispatching centres of reference companies in the energy sector: PPC Renewables, Rețele Electrice and Transelectrica. Participants had the opportunity to interact directly with operational processes and deepen their technical knowledge in energy infrastructure management.

The closing event was hosted by Transelectrica on 9 May 2025. “There is a great need for professionals, dedicated people, in the energy sector. We are going through a period with complex challenges, and our work is as exciting as it is demanding, a complex activity that involves huge responsibility. You have to realise that once we embrace this career, it impacts us, both professionally and humanly. I would like young people to come and take over the work of those at the end of their careers. “Dispatcher for a Day” is a successful pilot project, many more editions will certainly follow”, said Virgiliu Ivan, Director of the National Energy Dispatcher, considering the AIEE initiative to work directly with young people and actively involve them in this profession as useful and very important.

“This project should continue in other regions of the country, not only in Bucharest. There are other activities that could follow the same course. I am thinking of activities in the market area, in the energy trading area or coordinated operation,” is the recommendation of the DEN director.

According to Mihai Scarlat, PPC Renewables Dispatch Manager, the job of a dispatcher is a niche one. “We hope that through this project we have inspired young people and given them the opportunity to learn and understand what it means to be a dispatcher.” Gabriel Galaczi, Head of Operations at the Grid Command Centre, was pleased that the young people are keen to see how the National Energy System works. “Being a dispatcher is a highly technical job, you need to know many related areas of power engineering.”

“Through this project, we are building a shared commitment to the development of the next generation of dispatchers,” said Mircea Bițoiu, President of AIEE, “Each of us has a role to play in empowering and contributing to the development of people in the energy industry.”

The project was born from the meeting of two complementary perspectives: on the one hand, the need of the partner companies to identify and train, from an early stage, specialists able to respond to the challenges of SEN operation, and on the other hand, the desire of young people to explore concretely the processes by which the balance and safety of energy systems are maintained. ‘Dispatcher for a Day’ has thus been built as a real bridge between the aspirations of the new generation and the real requirements of the industry, between theoretical education and operational practice.”

At the closing event of the first edition of the project, the six participants were congratulated for the seriousness and enthusiasm with which they went through all the stages of the programme.

Young engineers – how they saw it

• “It was time invested in me as a future energy engineer. I very much appreciated the preparation and openness of the specialists, the fact that there was no barrier between the ‘ready man’ and the ‘unprepared man’ and that the information was conveyed in a way that we could understand” – Andreea Alistar
• “For me, this project came at a time when I didn’t really know where to start, as today’s energy offers many options. This experience is very useful for my personal and professional development” – Ionuț Moiseanu
• “When I heard about this initiative, I was glad that there is a willingness from companies to liaise with students, to bring us in on the dispatch side, to see what it’s like. Being just starting out, it’s hard to realise where you fit in the most, and projects like this really help and give us development opportunities” – Anna Leaua
• “This course was an experience that allowed me to understand the responsibilities of each dispatch, as well as the correlation between the 3 levels of dispatch that populate the National Energy System, namely: the local power plant dispatch, the distribution dispatch and the National Energy Dispatch (DEN). Electricity has become a necessity for all of us and its availability continuously and in optimal operating parameters is guaranteed by the work of the dispatchers. To be a dispatcher is to be dedicated, serious, resilient, attentive and highly trained. I would like to thank the organisers for this unique opportunity and for their willingness to pass on the information to the younger generation” – Cătălin Voinea
• It was a great opportunity and I’m glad I took it, thank you for that. It made me realise that people who sit in front of a screen and visualise some figures, don’t just do that. They have in their hands the security of a country, they have in their hands the whole energy sector” – Oana-Elena Aramă
• “It was something I had wanted for a very long time. It was more than I could have imagined. When the dispatch door opened, it was something really special for me. I am absolutely delighted and grateful for this opportunity” – Diana Iacob

AIEE would like to thank the partner companies that have supported this first edition of the project: PPC Romania, Rețele Electrice Romania, Transelectrica. The first edition of the project was realised with the involvement of colleagues from the AIEE Technical Commission – Operational Management of Power Systems, the AIEE team and representatives from partner companies, said Mircea Bițoiu.

The second edition of the “Dispatcher for a Day” project will run this autumn in an extended format in two centres simultaneously.

The project aims to familiarise young people with the work in dispatching, develop skills in monitoring, operational planning and real-time intervention on electricity flows, as well as to facilitate interaction with partner companies in order to identify potential future employees.

About AIEE

The Association of Energy and Electrical Engineers is a professional, non-governmental, non-profit, non-political, independent, professional organisation with legal personality, established in 2022. The aim of the Association is to contribute to increasing the role of energy and electrical engineers in order to develop and modernise the energy system, a pillar of the economy’s development. The AIEE promotes the principles of sustainable development of the energy system and provides the appropriate institutional, material and social framework for its members to express themselves. The AIEE team consists of members, employees, volunteers and collaborators of the association.