Federal officials combing through skills training programs have concluded major changes are needed if those are to be used to address a shortage of airline pilots.
Instead, officials are suggesting a strategy being used by other countries as a way for Canada to address a growing need for pilots: governments and airlines partner to pay for pilot training.
The funds – either dedicated financing or government-industry training programs – in turn could ensure “that a sufficient supply of trained pilots can sustain the current and projected demand,” reads the briefing note The Canadian Press obtained through the Access to Information Act.
The cost of training can be fully or partially covered, and pilots typically owe airlines a certain number of years of service in return.
John McKenna, president and CEO of the Air Transport Association of Canada, said his group has asked the government to guarantee private loans from banks to qualified students or forgive interest payments.
The association pegs the annual cost to government at $5-million, based on 10 per cent of students failing to finish training, but is hoping to keep those figures far lower through strict candidate screening.
“For $5-million, the government could help train 600 people a year. We add 600 people a year, every year, and we’re going to largely solve the shortage in Canada,” McKenna said.
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