Abu Dhabi: Etihad Airways has welcomed the first class of Emirati trainees to its Graduate Finance Development Program, the latest scheme to be launched as part of the airline’s growing UAE national development efforts.
The programme, launched in partnership with Phoenix Financial Training, a leading world class training provider, will aim at developing and preparing UAE nationals for a rewarding career in financial accounting in the aviation industry.
Spanning a period of two years, the program will consist of classroom and on-the-job training leading to a professional qualification from the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA), the global body for professional accountants. The ACCA boasts around 162,000 members and 428,000 students in 173 countries and ACCA qualifications are recognised by key regulatory and education authorities around the world. The qualification will consist of exams, practical experience and a number of ethics modules.
“As part of our mandate to develop and empower UAE nationals to take on roles in all aspects of the airline industry, we are excited to offer world class training and a globally recognized accreditation in finance and accounting,” James Rigney, Chief Financial Officer, said.
“As the need for seasoned finance professionals in the aviation industry arises, our new financial accounting management program will provide our top Emirati talent with the knowledge and skills required to undertake various finance roles across Etihad Airways’ expanding global network.”
“I feel very privileged to be part of this program and to be offered the opportunity to acquire one of the finance worlds’s most recognised certifications. I can’t wait to apply the knowledge and skills I will learn as I build my career in Etihad Airways’ finance division,” Marwa Al Maskari, one of the new trainees in the programme, said.
The Etihad Airways UAE national development program was launched in 2007 and continues to grow with an increasing number of Emiratis working in various roles at the airline’s home base in Abu Dhabi and across its global network.
The programme now offers a wide range of training opportunities for UAE nationals, including cadet pilot, technical engineering, and contact centre schemes and a graduate management development program in a number of specialized disciplines including finance, sales, airport operations and revenue management.
“We are pleased to offer this specialized finance program as part of our UAE National Development scheme,” Etihad Airways’ Chief People and Performance Officer, Ray Gammell, said.
“Our Programmes have evolved over the years and now offer individual schemes specifically tailored to suit the various business needs while at the same time preparing a cadre of talented UAE Nationals for exciting careers in the aviation industry.“
Currently Etihad Airways has almost 1600 UAE nationals employed in various jobs spanning the spectrum of its operations.