The McMaster Manufacturing Research Institute (MMRI) at the McMaster Innovation Park will serve as a primary location to deliver aerospace training and upskilling programs. PHOTO courtesy McMaster University.
McMaster University has received $3.8 million in federal funding to provide upskilling and reskilling training programs for the Canadian aerospace sector.
The Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario (FedDev Ontario) announced the investment in McMaster’s Aerospace Regional Recovery Initiative (ARRI), an industry-led initiative spearheaded by the Faculty of Engineering.
The curriculum for these upskilling programs was developed with input from researchers, as well as major aerospace companies and organizations such as Downsview Aerospace Innovation and Research (DAIR) and the Ontario Aerospace Council (OAC).
“There is great power in partnerships. When industry, academia and governments come together – pooling talent, capital and infrastructure – the opportunities to realize our collective potential is magnified,” says McMaster President David Farrar.
Hamilton MP Filomena Tassi, Minister responsible for FedDev Ontario, announced the investment Feb. 27 in the new, industry-scale McMaster Manufacturing Research Institute (MMRI) at the McMaster Innovation Park.
MMRI will serve as a primary location for the McMaster Certificate of Completion (MCC) program team to deliver targeted training and upskilling programs to small and medium enterprises from across Southern Ontario.
This partnership is exactly what is needed to support the aerospace industry, says project lead Florent Lefevre-Schlick, the faculty’s senior adviser, Aerospace, Defence and Security Industries.
“This is a new and innovative model that emphasizes active collaboration in designing, instructing and mentoring learners to enable a stronger workforce in the aerospace industry. Reskilling areas include aerospace operations, integration of technologies, supply chain management and sustainability,” explains Lefevre-Schlick.
Through this project, it is anticipated that nearly 340 aerospace professionals will receive the training and tools they need to grow in the industry, 100 of which will be Indigenous learners.
