Okanagan College’s Aircraft Maintenance Engineering is helping bolster Canada’s military and defence.
Twenty-two members of the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) joined the college program in October. An agreement was signed by the two organizations to have RCAF members train at the Kelowna and Vernon airports.
“This collaboration between the Royal Canadian Air Force and Okanagan College demonstrates how Canada’s government is protecting Canadians by forging new partnerships to strengthen our sovereignty and national security,” said Stephen Fuhr, Member of Parliament for Kelowna and Secretary of State for Defence Procurement.
“This partnership is about diversifying training opportunities for new aircraft technicians at a time of growth for the RCAF,” said Brigadier-General Dan Coutts, Commander of 2 Canadian Air Division which is responsible for RCAF training. “This initiative is representative of the Defence Industrial Strategy, partnering with industry and academia to train technicians that will maintain the sophisticated aircraft of Canada’s Air Force today and into the future.”
RCAF members will live in the college’s campus housing in Vernon during training.
“We’re excited to be able to work in partnership with the Royal Canadian Air Force, helping to support their workforce demands and the efforts of the Canadian military, alongside our civilian cohorts of students,” said Caitlin Hartigan, Dean of Trades and Apprenticeship at Okanagan College. “There is significant demand for Aircraft Maintenance Engineers, and our program is focused on being agile and responsive in order to continue to produce skilled workers for the region and beyond.”
The course is open to all students at Okanagan College with two aircraft maintenance programs, structures and mechanical.