By Skies Magazine | November 27, 2023 Estimated reading time 3 minutes, 2 seconds.
Mount Royal University (MRU) in Alberta plans to double its pilot and flight training capacity and create a new bachelor’s degree program to help meet industry demand.
MRU will increase enrollment for its aviation diploma program from around 40 students per year to 80 students per year, and plans to launch a new bachelor’s degree in aviation management in 2024, with help from $3 million in funding from the federal government.
“The demand for pilots continues to grow,” said Tim Rahilly, president and vice-chancellor of MRU, in a statement.
“This funding boost allows Mount Royal University to connect even more students, who aspire to be pilots or aviation professionals, with the education they need to meet the demands of the growing aviation sector.”
The federal funding, allocated through Prairies Economic Development Canada (PrairiesCan), will also help establish a new hangar at MRU’s campus in Springbank, Alta., where students can complete flight training toward a private pilot licence.
MRU also plans to add new “virtual reality technology and flight simulators,” PrairiesCan said in a release. It’s expected the projects will create more than 70 jobs and train 140 students over the next two years.
“Calgary’s significant expertise and strengths in the aviation sector are only getting bigger and better with projects such as this expanded pilot training facility at Mount Royal University,” said George Chahal, Member of Parliament for Calgary Skyview.
“I’m proud to see our government investing in an initiative that will have a tangible impact on training the pilots and skilled aviation workers needed for this growing industry.”
This funding comes on the heels of a $2.5 million federal allocation to help the University of Calgary create an aerospace innovation centre and over $1.4 million to help the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology create a training centre for heavy-lift drones.
