OTTAWA:- Canada’s innovative and growing aviation and aerospace industries are looking for new recruits and have found a pool of over 25,000 youth who are already interested in all things “air”. The Air Cadet League of Canada (ACLC) is pleased to announce that memoranda of understanding have been signed with both the Canadian Aviation Maintenance Council (CAMC) and the Canadian Aerospace Associations Human Resource Alliance (CAAHRA). These signings are a significant step on the part of their participants to work together to encourage young people to choose careers in aviation and aerospace.

These agreements mean that the Canadian Aviation Maintenance Council will make learning tools and the industry-based Aviation Maintenance Orientation Program (AMOP) available to optional training courses of the Royal Canadian Air Cadets. On its part, the Canadian Aerospace Associations Human Resource Alliance will ensure that the highest caliber of sufficient numbers of new career entrants are available to drive the future growth and prosperity of the aviation industry.

Air Cadet League of Canada President Lionel Bourgeois stated that, "I see these partnerships as a major turning point for Air Cadets. In 1941, we started training youngsters for the future defence of Canada. Now it is our country's aviation industries and activities that need future manpower support. Our Cadets will have more useful and useable aviation activities while cadets and build on their future employment opportunities – it’s a WIN-WIN arrangement."

“Canada's aerospace and aviation industries offer a tremendous range of career opportunities for young people today, and the demand for knowledgeable, enthusiastic people is growing as our industries expand and as our current employees retire over the next decade or so,” said Chair Rod Jones for Canadian Aerospace Associations Human Resource Alliance. “Being an Air Cadet already shows an interest in things related to airplanes and flying, and we want to help broaden and support the Air Cadets' knowledge and interest. Industry firms will both contribute and gain from this Alliance with the Air Cadet League of Canada."

"We are pleased that ACLC will recognize CAMC as the national, certification, credentialing and accrediting authority for aviation maintenance and aerospace manufacturing," added Les Aalders, the Council's acting Executive Director. "This allows us to work together in establishing centres of excellence for the delivery of high quality-based aviation maintenance orientation training."

The official signings of the Memoranda of Understanding took place at the Air Cadet League of Canada’s Semi-Annual Meeting on Friday, November 18th 2005.

-30-