(27 October 2009)
Etihad Airways today welcomed a delegation of students from Higher Colleges of Technology (HCT) to its Abu Dhabi headquarters, where the students presented the airline’s CEO with a remote control car manufactured as part of their educational programme.
The Etihad Airways-branded remote control car has been made by the students as part of the “Zayed Project” engineering programme, and it was presented to the carrier in recognition of its title sponsorship only days ahead of the inaugural Formula 1 Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
James Hogan, Chief Executive Officer of Etihad Airways, said: “Etihad Airways appreciates and values the Higher Colleges of Technology and its important role in Abu Dhabi. There is a need for greater cooperation and collaboration between the educational institutions and the industry, and commercial organisations have a responsibility to provide opportunities for real world experience. Etihad Airways aims to offer Emirati students global aviation experience which will prepare them and enhance their career opportunities.”
Both students and spokespeople from the educational sector echoed their desire to strengthen their relationship with the UAE’s national carrier for the benefit of both the students themselves and for the airline.
The gifted car boasts ‘plane power’ giving it a powerful boost when it accelerates. It will be proudly displayed in the atrium in the Etihad headquarters and at the Yas Marina Circuit during the race.
This event follows the Etihad Airways and Higher Colleges of Technology partnership agreement established earlier this year to provide its students with opportunities to develop skills for future careers in aviation.
The agreement between the Abu Dhabi-based airline and the higher education institution supports the development of the UAE national workforce by providing students with the skills and knowledge required to pursue a career in aviation engineering technology, and involves offering students valuable work experience in several different departments.