BRITISH COLUMBIA- According to the Executive Director of the British Columbia Aviation Council, the recent declaration by the federal government to decrease the issuance of visas to international students, partially as a response to the housing shortage, could potentially worsen the pilot deficit in Canada.
The Air Transport Association of Canada (ATAC), representing numerous Flight Training Units (FTUs) nationwide, approximates that 40% of flight training students in Canada originate from international backgrounds.
Shortage of Pilot In Canada
In January, Federal Immigration Minister Marc Miller attributed much of the surplus of international students to private institutions, likening some to “puppy mills” merely dispensing diplomas.
However, CBC News recently released acquired data revealing that most of the surge in international student visas originated from publicly funded colleges in Ontario.
Frank highlighted that most publicly funded post-secondary institutions were assured they wouldn’t face reductions in visa students, with the government concentrating instead on private educational institutions. “Flight Training Units (FTUs) aren’t publicly funded,” Frank emphasized.
Furthermore, Frank underscored the challenges a decrease in student visas for flight training would pose to training institutions.
“Many FTUs in Canada significantly scaled back their training activities during the COVID pandemic and are just now stabilizing financially,” Frank stated. “They have substantial capital costs, such as aircraft, and rely on a steady stream of students to maintain financial stability. They receive no government assistance for this.”
Publicly funded colleges offering flight training typically collaborate with privately owned and operated FTUs for actual flight instruction while the colleges handle the academic aspect. These FTUs operate independently of the publicly funded educational system.
According to Cathy Press, CEO of Chinook Helicopter based in British Columbia, their commercial training program usually costs around $120,000 for rotary or fixed-wing pilot training.
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