MRU hopes the new aviation degree will help meet industry demand

Mount Royal University (MRU) hopes its new four-year aviation management degree will help meet the need in the industry.

“The aviation industry is dying for pilots, for trained professionals who can talk about aviation who can participate in aviation. There is a huge need now,” said Mark Benson, assistant professor of business, communications and aviation at MRU.

The school hosted an Aviation Day event at its Springbank campus on Saturday, offering a panel, information sessions and networking opportunities for those looking to start a career in aviation.

“Today we have industry professionals, some of our students, some of our faculty, some of our instructors and a lot of prospective students here to talk about the future of aviation training in Alberta (and) the future of aviation training.” at Mount Royal University”

The school will launch a new four-year program in the fall that expands on a two-year diploma program focused on flight training.

“We understand that being a pilot is very important. And now there are many opportunities for pilots. But being a pilot means you have to have a lot of other skills,” said Kelly Williams-Whitt, dean of MRU's Faculty of Business and Communication and Aviation.

“By building on some of these skills, we're creating opportunities for people to transition into other aspects of the industry.”

The event was MRU's first aviation day. You can visit the MRU website for more information about its aviation programs.

With files from Tyler Barrow of CTV News Calgary