The Canadian Federal and Provincial government has approved $44 million in funding for Toronto's Centennial College's new Aerospace Campus.
Andrew Petrou, Director of Strategic Initiatives and External Relations at Centennial College told International Business Times: "The Aerospace Campus at Downsview Park will allow Centennial College to move its existing aviation programs out of its cramped hangar at Ashtonbee Campus and into the historic de Havilland building with access to operating runways for the first time.
"The new hangar will have ample space for our 16 aircraft and will be tall enough to accommodate modern jets."
The new Aerospace Campus is to be developed at Downsview Park in Toronto, located across from their training partner Bombardier Aerospace's manufacturing facility. The additional government funding will allow Centennial's current Aerospace program room to grow.
The modernized space will accommodate more students and the enrollment numbers are expected to rise from 300 to more than 900 students. The aerospace programs offered by Centennial have been received well by local and international students.
"Centennial's reputation for teaching aircraft technicians is known in the industry, and it transcends international borders. For example, Centennial enrolled more than 860 students from South Korea at its four campuses in Toronto last year, and the Asian country is ranked as the third-largest source of international students for Centennial College," Petrou told International Business Times when asked about the demand for Centennial's programs by international students.
Petrou looks forward to this new venture for Centennial College: "As nations such as India and China grow their middle class, millions more will become air travellers for the first time. India has plans to build and expand more than 100 airports in the next 20 years to accommodate consumer demand for air travel. This will mean many more aircraft will be built and flown – and every one of them will require meticulous maintenance and repair to keep the industry's sterling safety record intact."
Centennial College offers local and international students a variety of programs which has helped build its reputation within the Canadian and international education industry.
The Downsview Park Aerospace Campus, a state-of-the-art facility is scheduled to begin occupancy towards the Fall of 2018.
"Centennial will offer two existing programs for aviation technicians: Aircraft Maintenance and Avionics Maintenance. Both run two years in length, and they share a common first year of courses in everything from the theory of flight to piston engines and airframe systems.
"The second year of each program is when students specialize in aircraft maintenance or avionics maintenance (the plane's complex electrical and electronic systems). Graduates receive 18 months of accreditation by Transport Canada towards their Canadian Aircraft Maintenance Engineer (AME) license.
"In addition to these two longstanding programs, Centennial has received government approval to proceed with development of a new three-year advanced diploma program in Aerospace Manufacturing Engineering Technology, which capitalizes on the college's close partnership with Bombardier Aerospace, Canada's aircraft manufacturer," Petrou explained to International Business Times.
This new growth opportunity for Centennial will help them feed the demand by local and international students for their aerospace programs.
Petrou, also Executive Director of Downsview Aerospace innovation and Research (DAIR), an industry group, told International Business Times about the uniqueness of the program: "The new Aerospace Campus will house an innovation and research working group that brings together industry leaders and academic partners, including the University of Toronto Institute for Aerospace Studies, Ryerson University, York University, Bombardier and others.
"Centennial's campus will anchor the Downsview Aerospace Innovation and Research (DAIR) Cluster, which will work to maintain Canada's fifth-place ranking as an aerospace supplier to the world."
