Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates – Etihad Aviation Group continues to excel in the field of Emiratisation and last night capped another successful moment, with the graduation of 233 UAE National employees at a special Year of Zayed ceremony in Abu Dhabi.
- More than 3,000
trainees have progressed through the renowned Etihad programme, with Emiratis now
contributing to 11.5% of Etihad workforce
- More than 60%
of the Etihad senior leadership team and over 60% of the global airports team
are UAE Nationals
- The 2018 Year
of Zayed graduation group contains more than 230 UAE Nationals who will now
embark upon exciting career opportunities at Etihad
The graduation ceremony at Zayed
University was attended by Board Members of Etihad Aviation Group: H.E. Ahmed
Ali Al Sayegh; H.E. Hamad Abdulla Al Shamsi; and H.E. Mohamed Hareb Sultan Al
Yousef; as well as EAG senior management, and hundreds of family and friends of
the graduates.
The graduates successfully passed
through the organisation’s innovative and highly successful career development
programme which has developed significantly since its launch in 2006 when just
60 Emiratis worked at Etihad.
Currently, Emiratis are the largest
nationality in several parts of the organisation, including the senior
leadership team and global airports, with ambitious plans in place to increase
those numbers further during the next decade.
His Excellency Mohamed Mubarak Fadhel Al
Mazrouei, Etihad Aviation Group Chairman, said: “Etihad has been committed to the
development of UAE Nationals since its launch in 2003 and we are proud to
celebrate the achievement of this group of aviation professionals and future
leaders of our organisation. Etihad has delivered programmes to more than 3,000
graduates during its 15 years of operations.
“As we celebrate the Year of Zayed, we
are thankful for the wisdom of the father of our nation, the Late Sheikh Zayed
bin Sultan Al Nahyan, who was deeply committed to the development of human
capital. This commitment has inspired and guided Etihad Aviation Group to develop
the Emirati people who make such a significant contribution to the aviation industry
and our nation.”
The future leaders embarked on their
careers at Etihad over the past few years and have completed various
educational courses; 68 have gone through intense Cadet Pilot training, 58 have
finished the Technical Engineering Development Programme, and the largest group
of 107 have completed the Etihad Graduate Manager Programme.
Speaking at the ceremony, Tony Douglas, Etihad
Aviation Group Chief Executive Officer, said: “Our people are Etihad’s
strongest asset and as the organisation celebrates 15 years of flying, it is a
positive moment to reflect on the contributions these employees are already
making throughout the organisation.
“Etihad’s UAE National development
programme is one of the most respected in the country and we are proud to
pioneer this approach to capability and talent development. Through dedicated
development programmes, mentoring and coaching, we are fostering the growth of
the next generation of aviation experts in the UAE”.
The Etihad training courses for Emiratis
provide opportunities for young people to gain valuable on-the-job experience
and the necessary qualifications to establish their careers in one of the most
dynamic industries in the world.
The initial launch of the programme in
2006 included four key areas: cadet pilot programme, graduate manager
programme, technical engineering programme, and entry level programme. These
quickly became the platform for the organisation’s renowned development of UAE
nationals.
At its core, the Emiratisation programme
provides world class talent succession, coaching and mentorship, international assignments,
secondment and exchange programmes, professional qualifications, higher
education scholarships.
The team behind the programme have also
built strategic partnerships with key Abu Dhabi institutions including the
Absher initiative and Human Resources Authority, previously known as Abu Dhabi
Tawteen Council. It has also formed strong partnerships with the Ministry of
Human Resources and Emiratisation, as well as several overseas organisations.
Not content with that provision, the programme
is set to evolve further in 2019 to create career opportunities and training
for aircraft mechanics, graduate managers and officers, foundation employees as
well as the core areas of pilots and engineers.