Boac Trains Fiji

Apprentices

TWO young Fijian men are at present in London working as apprentices with BOAC under a scheme sponsored by the airline.

When they return to Fiji, at the end of a course of training as good as any they could get in the world— if not better—they will be fully-trained airline men, capable of any of the many ground jobs which are part of a worldwide airline’s day.

When he was in London recently as BOAC’s guest on the inaugural 747 jumbo jet flight from Sydney, via Hong Kong to London, the Minister for Communica tions, Works and Tourism (the Hon. Charles Stinson) made a special point of seeing the two lads at BOAC’s offices in Victoria, London.

In the picture, the minister (second from right) is seen with Mr. R. Middleton, BOAC’s General Training Officer; Mr. j. Rabukawaqa, High Commissioner for Fiji in London; Ratenda Singh; Dixon Seeto; and (at right of picture) Mrs. Stinson.

Dixon Seeto, who is 20, was awarded the first General Apprentice Scholarship in July, 1970. He was born in Suva and was educated at the Marist Brothers’ High School. Before going to London he worked with Air Pacific as a junior traffic officer.

Ratenda Singh, who comes from Sigatoka, also attended the Marist Brothers’ High School. His General Apprentice Scholarship was the second awarded (May, 1971), Twenty-one year old Ratenda was at Auckland University before joining Air Pacific in May, 1971, as a commercial trainee.