The expansion of SIIT’s Saskatchewan Aviation Learning Centre after a $17 million funding announcement from Boeing last year, is closer to becoming a reality.
There was a ground breaking ceremony on Friday for the expansion, to become a province-wide hub for aviation training, and to increase accessibility for Indigenous learners and students across the province.
President and CEO, Riel Bellegarde says this will increase training capacity for the Saskatchewan Indian Institute of Technology’s Aircraft Maintenance Engineering program.
He notes that this program plays a crucial role in addressing the skilled labour shortage in aerospace and empowers Indigenous professionals in high-demand career opportunities.
The expansion will feature modern classrooms, a specialized avionics lab and hands-on training spaces.
Bellegarde says the $17 million from Boeing is the largest single investment SIIT has ever had since it opened in 1976.
Boeing has a history of support with SIIT going back to 2010 when the company first contributed to the establishment of what was then called the Saskatoon Aviation Learning Centre.
It’s now known as the Saskatchewan Aviation Learning Centre.
President of Boeing Canada, Al Meinzinger, says, Boeing is proud to be enhancing opportunities for Indigenous learners and helping to address the skilled labour shortage in the aerospace sector. “With over a century of partnership with Canada’s aviation industry, Boeing recognizes the importance of training our sector’s future workforce.”
The expansion is expected to be complete sometime next year.
The land to make the expansion a reality was donated by the Saskatoon Airport Authority.