CAREERS
IN AVIATION 2012

Skills shortage points to rewarding careers
in aviation opening up in Canada and abroad

By David Carr

A looming pilot shortage may have captured the headlines, but the need for skills to sustain and grow Canada’s aviation sector runs much deeper.

For example, Boeing estimates that over the next 20 years, airlines in Canada and the United States will have to hire more than 97,000 new pilots, many to spots left by retiring baby boomers leaving the flight deck. This time around, Canadian airlines can expect stiffer competition for homegrown talent from fast-growing carriers in the Middle East and Asia, who are already feeling the pinch of the pilot shortage, and whose recruiters have landed at major Canadian cities. According to the Air Transport Association of Canada (ATAC), this so-called “brain drain “will have a knock on effect, creating opportunities for more pilots in this country.

The commercial airline pilot shortage only tells part of the story. Canada will also need pilots for the corporate aviation, commercial helicopter and military sectors. Beyond that, there will also be strong demand for hundreds of thousands of skilled workers to keep the airplanes flying, including maintenance technicians and ramp support personnel, and maintaining Canada’s position as a leading global manufacturer and exporter of aircraft engines, flight simulators and components.

According to the Aerospace Industries Association of Canada (AIAC), more than 80,000 Canadians are employed by more than 400 aerospace firms across the country, many of whom will soon be taking the decision to retire.

The numbers paint a positive picture for anybody who has either decided on a career in aviation, or is still shifting through career options. Still, aviation is a highly technical and safety-driven industry that cannot afford to plug gaps by shortcutting. “There is a big difference between numbers of people who are available and the number of people with the right skills,” warns Sam Barone, president of the Canadian Business Aviation Association (CBAA).

Whether you are looking to start a career in the sky with an airline or corporate aircraft operator, or keep your feet planted firmly on the ground at an airframer like Bombardier or a maintenance, repair and overhaul shop, Canada’s flight schools, colleges and universities offer excellent programs to help set a course along one of the hundreds of career paths available. So, where to start?

“Aviation is a checklist-driven industry, so you should begin by developing a checklist,” Barone advises. “Figure out what you want and then start talking to as many professionals as you can in your chosen field. Ask them about how they entered the industry, what they needed to do to prepare and what schools offer the best training.”

Barone also advises contacting industry associations such as the CBAA to learn more. Contacts for these associations, along with valuable information on education, training and job prospects, is available here in Wings’ Careers in Aviation 2012, your one-stop resource to launch a rewarding career in aviation.