Over the past year, we have seen a wealth of aerospace and aviation companies offer incentive-based apprentice placements and internships to help combat the well-documented labour shortage. These programs aim to draw interest in the sector as a viable career option, and not only for pilots, but in all facets of the business.

If a company is unaware of the available wage subsidy, the CCAA will speak with them on the student’s behalf to facilitate a placement. Mike Reyno Photo

It’s undoubtedly a positive thing to see original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) companies take it upon themselves to fill the holes in the workforce with self-funded, paid internships. But what about companies that don’t have the resources to run such a program, yet still look to take initiative and find a solution to the shortage?

The Canadian Council for Aviation & Aerospace (CCAA), a non-profit organization dedicated to adequately staffing the Canadian aviation and aerospace sectors,  is one of the major delivery partners for work placements in the aviation and aerospace sector, under the Student Work Placement Program (SWPP; previously known as Student Work Integrated Learning Program, SWILP).

Funded by the Government of Canada, the SWPP is a work placement program providing wage subsidies of up to 50 to 70 per cent of the wage cost — to a maximum of either $5000 or $7000 per work placement — to employers offering work-integrated learning placements to eligible post-secondary students. The higher subsidy, $7,000, is reserved for first-year students or those who fall into the category of underrepresented groups, including women in STEM, Indigenous people, and recent immigrants. The program started in 2017 and will run until March 2022.

Kethy Sosso-Kolle, project co-ordinator with the CCAA, is understandably optimistic about the SWPP’s potential outreach, saying they’re expecting to have created 1,000 student work placements by the time it’s over.

“The government of Canada had an initiative with $4.8 million in funding to put into aviation and aerospace work integrated learning placements,” said Sosso-Kolle, outlining how the council established the SWPP.  More here.  

To apply for this this subsidy, please contact Kethy Sosso-Kolle, Project Co-ordinator: ksossokolle@avaerocouncil.ca, or call 1 800-488-9715 extension 261

Photo credits to Mark Reno, the RCAF, and Air Canada.

Canadian Council for Aviation & Aerospace 2018 Labour Market Information Report for Aviation & Aerospace can be found here.

About CCAA The Canadian Council for Aviation & Aerospace (CCAA) is dedicated to assisting industry ensure the Canadian aviation and aerospace industry has enough workers with the right skills to meet industry needs. CCAA has two main areas of focus: skills development and industry demographics (supply and demand for skills). For more information about Aviation & Aerospace workforce development programs and training, please contact CCAA at 1-613-727-8272 or 1-800-488-9715; Linked-In; Twitter; CCAA News.