British Airways’Leaders of Tomorrow Initiative to train six Aviation College Students

Manager, Trade Sales, British Airways, Mr. Ademola Sanya; General Manager, West Africa, British Airways, Mr. Kola Olayinka and Legal Adviser, Nigeria College of Aviation Technology (NCAT), Zaria, Afolake St. Matthew Daniel, at the press conference to announce the launch of the British Airways Leaders of Tomorrow, held at Ikoyi

Lagos, Nigeria; March 12, 2014: In a move aimed at further deepening its contribution to the development of the Nigerian aviation industry, British Airways has announced the launch of a capacity building initiative tagged Leaders of Tomorrow.

The programme will see the leading international airline fund the training of six students to be drawn from the two aviation colleges. The lucky students will emerge through a competition.

To qualify for this proramme, candidates are to send a 500 words submission on the topic; Building a more Robust Aviation Industry and Travel Luxury; Benefits of International Airlines to www.baleadersoftomorrow.com

Speaking at a press conference which held in Lagos, to formally launch the initiative, Country Commercial Manager (West Africa), British Airways and Iberia, Mr. Kola Olayinka disclosed that the idea was part of a larger plan that the company is deploying to contribute to the development of the country’s aviation sector.

 “This initiative is designed to bridge the gap between the classroom and the actual work environment. We believe in supporting talents by providing them a veritable platform where they can learn and gain experience in their chosen fields. We are not only concerned with the business of providing excellent service delivery; we are also passionate about investing in the lives of our people. We hope to achieve that with this project.” He stated.

The competition is currently open to students of two major aviation colleges: Aviation Technology College (NCAT), Zaria, Kaduna and International Aviation College (IAC), Ilorin, Kwara State.

Speaking further, he added that “The eventual six students will undergo two weeks internship at British Airways head office in Nigeria and one week visit to the company’s global office at London Heathrow.

The internship module include understudying Keith Williams, Chief Executive Office of British Airways in London as well as visiting other strategic places to get firsthand experience of the workings of a global airline.

All of the interns will receive a British Airways accredited certification from the CEO to mark their graduation from the Leaders for Tomorrow Academy.  

Entries for the programme open on Wednesday, 13th March, 2014 and closes on the 10th of April, 2014. All entries will be vetted and scrutinized by a panel of three preselected judges. These judges will work together to select the top six students who will participate in the programme.