Air Seychelles/Etihad Airways |06 February 2016

Top UniSey graduates back from learning tour in Abu Dhabi

 A group of 23 high-performing graduates from the University of Seychelles (UniSey) returned to Seychelles yesterday morning after a two-day educational tour of the Etihad Airways Innovation Centre and the city of Abu Dhabi.

Air Seychelles and Etihad Airways hosted the group who was selected for the trip as part of a recently signed memorandum of understanding (MoU) between Air Seychelles and the UniSey aimed at providing vocational training and employment opportunities for academic achievers.

The group was taken on a behind-the-scenes tour of the Etihad Airways Innovation Centre, a research facility dedicated to the development of next-generation products and services; the Etihad Airways Training Academy, where Air Seychelles cabin and flight crew undergo safety and service training; and the Network Operations department, which is responsible for the daily management of aircraft.

The graduates were accompanied on the trip by Sheryl Barra and Elsie Hurst, who recently completed the Graduate Management Development Programme, a carefully-designed internship where members are rotated through key Etihad Airways departments before taking up management-level roles in Air Seychelles.

The group who returned on the Air Seychelles flight was welcomed at the VIP Lounge by Roy Kinnear, the chief executive of Air Seychelles, and Professor Dennis Hardy, vice-chancellor of the UniSey, where they discussed and shared their experience and impressions of the visit to the Etihad Airways Innovation Centre and tour of the capital of the United Arab Emirates.

Amanda Rene, one of the graduates, described the trip as really interesting and memorable during which they had a detailed and informative exchange with Seychellois cadres on the Etihad graduates programme. 

“I am really happy to have noted that they are doing well and are happy with the level of training they are receiving and hopefully they will return on completion to share their experience and help with the development of our national airline,” Amanda explained.

She said the managers and the whole team at the centre were all eager to welcome them and share their experience and talked about the airline industry, their priorities, partnership with Air Seychelles among numerous other related matters.

The group visited the training facilities including the simulators and the different types of aircraft which are used.

“The facilities are really impressive and we all really felt reassured that the training Air Seychelles personnel are receiving are recognised worldwide,” Amanda pointed out, noting that the visit which has no doubt had a great impact on them all will surely result in a number of them to rethink their career choices.

“The high level of training, continuous reviews, career prospects and progression are all very interesting and above all the visit really boosted our confidence to travel by plane,” another student Phoebe Lozé explained.

With regard to the visit in downtown Abu Dhabi, the group was really impressed by the mix of culture and tradition, development and wealth of the city.

Samita Dodin described the visit as enriching and an experience of a lifetime.

“It was really fantastic and we really had a great time,” she said.

She expressed sincere gratitude to Air Seychelles, Etihad Airways and UniSey for making the visit possible. 

Mr Kinnear said: “This trip was a fantastic opportunity for Seychellois graduates to get a first-hand look at the aviation industry, learn about our winning partnership with Etihad Airways and find out more about the exciting career prospects at Air Seychelles.

“We place a strong emphasis on future planning at Air Seychelles, and part of that strategy involves identifying and investing in our country’s young professionals who can continue to strengthen the business in the years to come.

“Several top-calibre UniSey graduates have already joined our team and are making a valuable contribution to the business, and we look forward to welcoming more on board in the future,” Mr Kinnear added.

Professor Hardy thanked Air Seychelles and Etihad Airways for organising this trip for the best graduates.

“They have benefited from an inside look at a best-in-class airline and are now more knowledgeable about the different career paths in aviation,” he said.