Estimated reading time 5 minutes, 28 seconds.
Alberta’s aviation industry is experiencing skyrocketing growth and employers need more skilled workers to support this momentum.
Fourteen employers will receive funding totalling $5 million through the Aviation Skills Grant to strengthen the province’s aerospace sector as Alberta’s economy continues to grow and diversify.
Grant recipients will receive up to $30,000 per trainee to help offset training costs for new or vacant positions. More than half of requested training is for pilots and aircraft maintenance engineers, which are key in-demand occupations for Alberta’s aviation industry.
“Alberta’s aviation industry is soaring to new heights and the province is well on its way to becoming Canada’s next aviation hub,” said Matt Jones, Alberta’s minister of jobs, economy and trade.
“Funding delivered through the Aviation Skills Grant will help Alberta’s aviation employers access the skills and talent they need to grow their businesses and support vitality in the sector.”
“As a landlocked province, investing in our aerospace industry is key to developing economic corridors, expanding market access and to helping create local jobs,” said Devin Dreeshen, minister of transportation and economic corridors.
“That’s why we are providing $4.6 million to support community airports through the Strategic Transportation Infrastructure Program. These investments, along with the Aviation Skills Grant, demonstrate our government’s commitment to growing Alberta’s aviation sector.”
Grant recipients include small and large-sized employers that represent air transportation, flight schools and aircraft maintenance businesses across Alberta.
Air Spray, with a hub at the Red Deer Regional Airport, provides air tanker support to control wildfires. Adventure Aviation, based in Grande Prairie, has trained pilots for more than 20 years. WestJet Airlines is Canada’s second-largest airline and operates almost 800 flights daily. The complete list of grant recipients is available on alberta.ca.
“This grant advances WestJet’s ability to harness and train top talent to take aviation to new heights in the coming years,” said Andy Gibbons, vice-president of external affairs at WestJet.
“We commend the Government of Alberta’s dedication to strategic investments in our industry that will support WestJet’s growth in the province and support the growth of aviation and tourism as an economic driver for Alberta.”
The Aviation Skills Grant is part of Alberta at Work – a multi-year provincial investment of more than $700 million to help Albertans develop new skills and grow their careers to support Alberta’s economy now and in the future – and targeted investments to grow Alberta’s aviation industry.
Quick facts
- Applications for the first intake of the Aviation Skills Grant were open from April 21 to May 26. The government plans to launch a second intake this fall;
- Alberta’s government has a $5-million budget for the grant program in 2024-25;
- Alberta’s aviation industry is ranked third in Canada by company size.
- In 2022, there were 272 air transportation-related businesses in Alberta.
- Alberta’s aviation industry employs an estimated 25,000 people.
This press release was prepared and distributed by the Government of Alberta.
