‘Essential’ investment in StandardAero training

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This article was published 12/11/2024 (327 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

When Krisha Vida was looking to increase her future earning potential, she decided to pursue a career at StandardAero.

The 25-year-old, who emigrated from the Philippines in 2018, completed a 32-week training program last month and is now working full-time at the company, which specializes in gas turbine engine and accessories maintenance, repair and overhaul.

“It’s exciting because we have a lot of foundation from our training,” Vida said, adding she’s happy to have full-time employment after cobbling together work at two part-time sales jobs. “I want to stay in one place … And I think this opportunity is good for me and I can work (here) until I retire.”

StandardAero will train 100 new employees and 1,200 current employees over the next three years thanks to a $510,400 investment from the governments of Canada and Manitoba.

Government officials visited the company’s Winnipeg plant near the Richardson International Airport on Tuesday morning to make the announcement.

Premier Wab Kinew addressed StandardAero employees, saying it’s Manitoba workers who power its economy.

“We’re so proud of health care (and) education, but it’s you folks showing up on the shop floor who paid for that, who make it possible for us to make investments in health care and in the high quality of living that we enjoy,” he said.

“Making this investment in training the workforce of tomorrow, making this investment in the low-carbon economy, the aerospace sector, being able to say that Manitoba is going to have jobs for decades to come — this is hugely important to the province that we’re all building together.”

The investment is also a message the keystone province has a critical role to play when it comes to security, Kinew added.

“Security is absolutely essential to our relationship with the United States of America,” he said.

“Arctic security, energy security, food security, economic security … Whether we’re talking about being a strong partner on border security or just having those flights going back and forth that keep our two economies running strongly, this investment today really allows us to say that Manitoba is a crucial partner in helping advance the security interests of Canada, the U.S. and, of course, all of our allies.”

Winnipeg MP Dan Vandal, minister responsible for Prairies Economic Development Canada, noted StandardAero’s importance in the province.

“We know that StandardAero is a very, very valuable asset to Manitoba and I think we can agree that the most valuable asset of StandardAero is its people,” Vandal said. “Our government is proud to support StandardAero in their efforts to keep their own workforce equipped with the skills they need to stay on top of the game.”

St. Vital MLA and economic development minister Jamie Moses called Manitoba’s aerospace sector one of the province’s greatest strengths, adding there are more than 4,300 jobs in the industry and it contributes $441 million to the province’s GDP.

“This is a growing sector,” Moses said. “And knowing that we have the skills and talent to be a world leader here in Manitoba is so significant.”

Without the $500,000 investment, StandardAero might not be able to train 100 new employees or it might have to do it outside of the province, according to Brent Ostermann, vice-president of product assurance and quality. “This is very important for the site to get its work done in the province of Manitoba.”

He noted “several hundred” of StandardAero’s current Winnipeg employees have participated in the company’s gas turbine repair and overhaul technician training program.

“This funding agreement will … enable us to enhance our business success for many years to come,” Ostermann said.

The investment is being delivered through the province’s industry expansion program, which supports companies that are locating or expanding operations in Manitoba by contributing to their investment in skills training for employees.

Founded in 1911 in Winnipeg, StandardAero has become one of the largest providers of maintenance, repair and overhaul services to the global aviation industry.

The company employs nearly 7,500 people, including more than 1,300 Manitobans, in more than 50 facilities around the world.

aaron.epp@freepress.mb.ca