Toronto Pearson and Ingenium launch airport-focused aviation education program
The program aims to connect more than 1,600 high school students with professionals from Canada's largest airport to explore aviation careers.
TORONTO — Toronto Pearson International Airport and Ingenium are launching a new education program to connect more than 1,600 high school students with careers in aviation.
The program, called Aerospace Experiences: Airport Edition, will bring airport professionals into Toronto classrooms starting in spring 2027 to discuss careers in operations, safety, skilled trades and technology.
"Through our Canada Aviation and Space Museum partnership: Aerospace Experiences: Airport Edition, students will see and experience the range of careers connected to an airport ecosystem, these impressions can be life changing for how young people believe in themselves and their futures," said Deborah Flint, CEO of Toronto Pearson Airport.
READ MORE: Ajax parents demand action as students endure grueling 2-hour bus commutes to specialized program
READ MORE: International students left in limbo as Toronto's ILAC school abruptly closes amid bankruptcy
The initiative is a co-development between the airport and Ingenium, which oversees the Canada Aviation and Space Museum in Ottawa.
It builds on an existing Ingenium program that has engaged more than 4,000 students in Ottawa.
The new version is designed to be scalable and adaptable for future workforce development, with a focus on engaging students underrepresented in STEM fields, newcomers and youth from underserved communities.
"This program gives students more than a glimpse into aerospace; it gives them confidence, context, and real points of connection to the people and places shaping Canada's aviation sector," said Chris Kitzan, director general of the Canada Aviation and Space Museum.
Curriculum co-development will begin this fall, with the in-classroom program running from spring 2027 through spring 2028.
The program will be delivered through three pathways: classroom presentations and career conversations, workshop days with experiential learning, and a student showcase where participants present solutions to real-world airport challenges.
Toronto Pearson, which employs more than 52,000 people, says the program supports its role as a major economic engine and helps build the talent pipeline needed for future growth.
The airport operator, the Greater Toronto Airports Authority, says growth from its LIFT program is expected to create another 12,000 jobs.
Flint said the airport is a major driver of jobs, trade, tourism and economic growth.
"With an airport workforce of more than 52,000 people, where growth from LIFT will create another 12,000 jobs, today's students will be tomorrow's aviation professionals," she said.
Kitzan said the program shows what happens when museums, educators and industry come together.
"By turning curiosity into meaningful experience, we can help more young people see these careers within reach and inspire them to imagine the role they can play in Canada's next chapter of innovation," he said.
The program will focus on areas such as aircraft and airfield operations, customer and passenger services, safety and emergency services and skilled trades and facilities maintenance.
Ingenium oversees three national museums of science and innovation in Ottawa: the Canada Agriculture and Food Museum, the Canada Aviation and Space Museum, and the Canada Science and Technology Museum.
Toronto Pearson has been recognized as one of the best airports in North America eight times in the last nine years by Airports Council International.
Your Space Hamilton reported in October that space startups are lobbying Ottawa for funding as the launch industry grows.
With files from PR Newswire Canada