The Association of Energy and Electrical Engineers (AIEE) has launched the third edition of the “Dispatcher for a Day” project, an initiative aimed at young people interested in the energy and electrical sectors. Fifteen students will get a behind-the-scenes look at the operational management of the energy system and will be able to observe firsthand the role of dispatchers in maintaining grid stability.
The news announced this year is that the project will be expanded in 2026 to include the university center in Timișoara, in addition to Bucharest and Cluj-Napoca, where the program has already been implemented. “The ‘Dispatcher for a Day’ project has evolved rapidly and has reached maturity. We started from the needs of companies to create new ways to train young people in the energy sector and from the desire of young people to explore,” said Mircea Bițoiu, president of AIEE, emphasizing the educational and practical nature of the initiative.
As part of the broader “Careers in the Energy and Electricity Industry” program, the project aims to provide young people with relevant hands-on experience and a firsthand look at one of the most critical and important roles in the national energy system.
As the guest of honor at the launch event, Virgiliu Ivan, director of the National Energy Dispatch Center, emphasized the essential role of human resources in the industry and the need to attract new generations to the energy sector. The message conveyed to participants was a straightforward one: the dispatch center offers the chance to feel the real “pulse” of the energy system, in an environment where curiosity, questions, and a desire to learn are essential.
Messages of support also came from the academic community and companies in the sector. Representatives from the Polytechnic University of Timișoara, Hidroelectrica, Rețele Electrice România, DEER, Enevo, Nova Power & Gas, and ELCEN spoke about the importance of this profession, the need to attract young people to control centers, and the transformations that digitalization and new investments are bringing to the operation of energy systems.
The “Dispatcher for a Day” project will begin on April 16, 2026, with support from Transelectrica, Rețele Electrice, Distribuție Energie Electrică România, Enevo Group, Nova Power & Gas, and Hidroelectrica. As a media partner, Energynomics is offering the 15 participants free and full access to the proceedings of the 12th edition of the Energy Strategy Summit, scheduled for June 8 and 9 in Bucharest.
Founded in 2022, the Association of Energy and Electrical Engineers is a professional, non-governmental, nonprofit, and nonpartisan organization dedicated to contributing to the development and modernization of the national energy system through the active involvement of engineers in the field and by supporting new generations of specialists.