New partnership opens door to Seneca aviation degree for aspiring Royal Canadian Air Force pilots

First of its kind agreement between a Canadian college and the Canadian Forces

TORONTO, May 29, 2012 /CNW/ - A new agreement between Seneca and the Canadian Forces (CF) will provide aspiring Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) pilots with the opportunity to earn a Bachelor of Aviation Technology degree and their military wings certification in just four calendar years.

"This partnership will provide future Royal Canadian Air Force pilots with a high-quality degree education," said David Agnew, Seneca President. "For more than 40 years, Seneca has been a leader in the education and training of professional pilots for the global aviation industry."

This new partnership will blend the academic requirements for Seneca's Aviation Technology degree with the training mandate for an RCAF pilot. Candidates who are accepted into the combined program will receive a completely subsidized Bachelor of Aviation Technology education in conjunction with state-of-the art Canadian Forces pilot training. Graduates will immediately gain job experience flying helicopters, fixed-wing aircraft or fighter jets as part of the RCAF.

"We're very pleased to enter this partnership with Seneca College," said Lieutenant-General André Deschamps, RCAF Commander. "Canadian Forces pilots are required to have a bachelor's degree, and this initiative will produce RCAF pilots with this academic qualification faster than can be done with other CF enrolment plans. It's a win-win for the Canadian Forces and for our pilot recruits who will benefit from an aviation-oriented degree."

As part of this partnership, young Canadians will be enrolled in the Canadian Forces and undergo basic military officer qualification training, followed by the RCAF Phase I pilot training at CFB Portage la Prairie. If successful in this initial phase of training, they will be transferred to Seneca and begin academic studies towards their bachelor's degree. Students will then transfer seamlessly back and forth between Seneca and the RCAF according to a carefully mapped curriculum that assesses and credits prior learning obtained through the Canadian Forces. At the end of four calendar years, successful graduates will have satisfied the requirements to earn Seneca's bachelor's degree and their Canadian Forces Wings.

Seneca's Bachelor of Aviation Technology program is the only one of its kind in Canada. It provides a rigorous aviation technology-based curriculum and the application of this theory to aviation. The breadth of knowledge and skills prepares students to operate a complex aircraft in a multi-crew environment, to understand the technologies and human factors that affect the successful operation of an aircraft and to assume the professional responsibility associated with being a commercial pilot. Students also learn about business management, airport operations and planning, and air carrier administration to gain a broad perspective of the aviation industry and ultimately gain access to a greater variety of careers in the industry.

For more information about this opportunity, visit http://forces.ca/en/job/pilot-32 or go to a Canadian Forces recruitment centre near you.

With campuses across the Greater Toronto Area, Seneca offers degrees, diplomas and graduate certificates renowned for their quality and respected by employers. Combining the highest academic standards with practical, hands-on learning, expert teaching faculty and the latest technology ensures Seneca graduates are career-ready.

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Seneca College Media Relations 
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