Etihad Airways and Abu Dhabi-based Vocational Education Development Centre (VEDC) have recently signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to provide career development opportunities for UAE nationals.

Under the agreement, Etihad will sponsor 20 VEDC students annually and offer them employment opportunities upon their completion of the program. VEDC, which is a subsidiary of the Abu Dhabi Vocational and Training Institute (ADVETI), has specifically devised a curriculum for the Etihad sponsored students tailored to meet the needs of Etihad Airways. 

The sponsored students will also undertake a rigorous eight week work placement training program at Etihad.

Ray Gammell, Etihad Airways’ chief people and performance officer, said: “Our partnership with the Vocational Education Development Centre will greatly assist us in our drive to develop a cadre of competent UAE nationals with the professional skills to meet Etihad’s rapidly growing needs.

“As the national airline of the United Arab Emirates, we are delighted to attract experienced Emiratis from the market place and we are also committed to supporting and developing young UAE nationals, both men and women, and ensuring they are ready to take on roles at all levels,” he added.

Dr Addel Al Ameri, ADVETI’s acting managing director, said, “The signing of this MoU is testimonial to the fact that industry and vocational educational institutions must work together to ensure we are playing our role in developing UAE Nationals to meet Emiratisation targets and the Vision 2030 laid out by the government of Abu Dhabi.”

“We are extremely proud of our students, graduates and the industries that train and employ them.  Etihad Airways has always been a strong supporter of vocational education in the UAE. We are convinced that VEDC sponsored students will get ‘top notch’ training in state of the art facilities,” he added.

Etihad’s Emiratisation programme currently has 271 UAE national trainees deployed across the airline, including 146 cadet pilots, 70 graduate managers and 55 technical engineers, said a statement.

Nearly 18 per cent of Etihad’s workforce is UAE nationals, it added. – TradeArabia News Service