On 17 June 2022, FTEJerez completed selection for its fully-funded ATPL scholarship, awarding scholarships to Fahim Ahmed from Edinburgh, Scotland, and Stephen Daly from Limerick, Ireland.
Being the only fully-funded ATPL scholarships on offer in Europe for at least a decade, it was anticipated that competition would be fierce, and it certainly proved to be the case with FTEJerez confirming that it received over 2,000 applications.
After the two-month application window closed on 31 December 2021, FTEJerez spent the last few months whittling the applications down to a short-list of 250 who progressed to the assessment stage, before reducing this further to 28 individuals who were invited to attend the grand final at FTEJerez’s training base in southwest Spain.
The final round of selection ended on Friday 17 June with an awards ceremony during which the two winners were announced. With an overall score of 93.3%, the first scholarship was awarded to Stephen Daly, from Limerick, Ireland. The second scholarship was awarded to Fahim Ahmed, from Edinburgh, Scotland, who obtained an overall score of 99.6%.
FTEJerez says that both candidates demonstrated consistent top scores throughout the process, as well as outstanding motivation and numerous achievements throughout their academic lives, such as obtaining PPL and gliding scholarships, international student exchange experiences, and their constant involvement in numerous aviation-related activities.
The academy says that the selection throughout the entire process has been based purely on merit, updating the ranking with the results of each stage of the process, which included personal questionnaires, written tests, psychometric testing, group exercises and interviews. Personal income was also considered throughout the scholarship and was audited before the final result was announced, guaranteeing that the recipients were not able to fund FTE’s ATPL course by their own means.
Scholarship winners Fahim Ahmed (L) and Stephen Daly
Commenting on his achievement, Fahim Ahmed said: “The past seven months have been a rewarding endeavour, testing both my strengths and weaknesses at all stages of this rigorous selection process. What began as a mere dream from the age of six while seeing my dad drive his taxi – or as I saw it – fly his passengers around Edinburgh, now brings me to the path to become an airline pilot. The efforts I have put in, not just in this process but over the past 16 years, have paid off and are a true testament to years of grit and hard work. As my parents have always said: Where there’s a will, there’s a way”
Oscar Sordo, FTEJerez CEO, said: “While we believe that everyone reaching this final would be a deserving scholarship winner, we have no doubt that the two awardees deserve this unique and life changing opportunity, and that they are about to embark on a successful career in aviation”.
The scholarship winners are currently preparing their enrolment on this month’s course commencing on 18 July. In anticipation of his arrival, Stephen Daly said: “A dream like this seemed vaguely ludicrous and completely unattainable to my younger self. This moment is directly connected to those childhood imaginings. To anyone who is on the downside of financial advantage and reliant on dedication and hard work, it is possible. A by-product of this process has been the lifelong friends that I have made; each one of us shared a common tangible passion for this vocation, which is a testament to the selection process that FTEJerez has curated. Finally, I would like to thank my family, friends and FTEJerez for enabling me to be part of their history and their future. I look forward to giving back what I have been so fortunate to receive”.
The two scholarships are valued at over €119,000 each and cover 100% of the fees of FTE’s Airline First Officer Programme. This includes not only the course fees, but also full-board accommodation on the FTE Campus, all training materials, uniform, iPad (electronic flight book), renewal of the Class 1 medical and all landing, navigation and examination fees. Ahmed and Stephen need only cover their personal expenses and their travel to Jerez to commence training.
