Canadian North to collaborate on pilot training for Inuit students

Canadian North has announced a plan to train more Inuit as pilots in partnership with a Manitoba Christian college.

In a press release, Canadian North said the collaboration will “ensure skilled Inuit pilots are trained and ready to provide essential passenger and cargo service to communities throughout Inuit Nunangat.”

Canadian North and Providence University College, located in Otterburne, Manitoba, will select “high-potential Inuit students” for enrolment in the program.

Students will graduate with a Bachelor of Arts in aviation or a double major in aviation and business management. Providence said Harv’s Air in Steinbach would be its aviation partner – the two already run a program together.

“We believe we can be part of the solution to Canada’s chronic pilot shortage, to enhance the lives of people in the far North,” Providence’s president, Kent Anderson, was quoted as saying.

Canadian North said it will provide a standing offer of employment for successful students who meet the regulatory requirements of the airline.