Holland College will offer the one-year Aircraft Turbine Technician program again in September, President Dr. Alexander (Sandy) MacDonald announced today.

The reintroduction of the program, which was suspended last year, is based on industry demand, Dr. MacDonald said.

“We have been meeting with industry sectors to assess and act on labour market issues. The aerospace sector is vibrant, and employers in the industry have expressed the need for skilled workers immediately,” he said.

For Jeff Poirier, Acting President Airlines & Fleets and VP and General Manager of StandardAero Summerside, this is welcome news.

“The pandemic created challenges for many industries, hardest hit was the aviation and aerospace sector worldwide; however, Aerospace on PEI, while significantly challenged at times, has stabilized. For companies like StandardAero, the challenges created for many companies is creating opportunities for us. That optimism along with normal attrition, like retirements, creates the critical need to continue to add to our great team – we are happy to see the Aircraft Turbine Technician program being offered again in September,” he said.

Dave Trainor, President of Action Aero, agreed.

“Hard work by our employees and new opportunities have enabled Action Aero to return to pre-COVID levels. There are some promising signs on the horizon that suggest that the province’s aerospace industry is going to require a significant number of skilled workers in the near future. We are pleased that Holland College will be able to help us meet the demand,” he said.

Allan Campbell, Prince Edward Island Director with the Atlantic Canada Aerospace and Defence Association, thanked Holland College for reintroducing this important program.

“The success of the aerospace industry in P.E.I. has always been related to the partnership between our hard-working industry members, all levels of government, and our training partners,” he said.

The college’s one-year Aircraft Turbine Technician program prepares students to inspect aircraft engines, troubleshoot issues with mechanical systems, and modify, repair, and test turbine engines. Students are trained on a variety of turbine engines including the Pratt and Whitney 100 series turbine engine used on the de Havilland Dash 8 aircraft, the Pratt and Whitney PT6 engine, and the Rolls Royce 250 engine.