Gaspé, Quebec, October 9, 2007- The Honorable Christian Paradis, Secretary of State (Agriculture) and Member of Parliament for Mégantic-L'Érable, on behalf of the Honourable Monte Solberg, Minister of Human Resources and Social Development, today announced that Canada's New Government will ensure that the Canadian aviation and aerospace industry meets today's stringent safety standards by working with the Canadian Aviation Maintenance Council with funding through the Sector Council Program.
"Canada's New Government is taking action to ensure that Canada has the best educated, most-skilled and most flexible work force in the world," said Secretary of State Paradis. "By investing more than $2 million in new safety training tools and learning content for the aviation and aerospace industry, we are helping nearly 150 000 Canadians who work in the industry meet the demands of today's safety standards."
The aviation and aerospace sector is a highly regulated, high technology sector that is constantly changing and requires a well-trained, knowledgeable work force that can change with it. In Canada and much of the world, the air travel industry is undergoing a restructuring due to the implementation of Safety Management Systems (SMS). Safety Management Systems are a new and promising means of preventing accidents in the aviation industry. SMS take a pro-active approach to safety by involving everyone in the process, from the mechanics in the hanger, to the pilots in the cockpit, to the executives in the boardroom; everyone is responsible for safety.
Implementing SMS requires new skills at all levels, and today's announced funding will provide the groundwork to ensure that the required training will take place and that Canada's aviation and aerospace industry meets these demanding safety requirements.
"The aviation and aerospace industry in Canada continues to grow and provide a safe product to Canadians and the world," said Mr. Bill Zoeller, former Executive Director of the Canadian Aviation Maintenance Council (CAMC). "We are, however, facing some serious challenges in meeting the industry's demand for a highly skilled work force. Technological advances and evolving safety regulations require well trained, specialized and sophisticated employees in all technical and management positions. Today's announced funding will allow CAMC to work effectively with government and industry in providing solutions to meet this demand."
Sector councils play a vital role in helping to strengthen the labour market, thereby contributing to the productivity and competitiveness of the economy and the standard of living of all Canadians. They bring together governments, business, labour and educational stakeholders in key sectors to share ideas, concerns and perspectives about work force issues. Canada's sector councils have been successful at meeting emerging skills requirements, addressing skills and labour shortages, and building essential skills in the workplace as a foundation for continuous learning.
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