A new agreement with Jazz Aviation could spell more career opportunities for pilots graduating from Okanagan College’s commercial aviation diploma program.
Jazz and the college signed an agreement that will see the post-secondary institution participate in the Jazz Aviation Pathways Program (APP), which can serve as a fast-track for OC pilots to land flying careers with the national airline.
It is among the first aviation schools in Western Canada to participate in the program. Five colleges and universities in Ontario participate as well as Mount Royal University in Alberta.
“We have worked closely with Jazz regarding our program’s curriculum, and expected outcomes for students,” said Barry McGillivray, Okanagan College’s acting dean of business.
“Our program and our graduates have a good reputation in the industry, and this affords them some advantages in terms of advancing their careers.”
Jazz Aviation is the largest regional carrier in Canada.
“Our goal is to create a strong future for Canadian professional pilots and engaging with academic institutions from coast-to-coast is an important part of delivering on that,” said Steve Linthwaite, vice-president of flight operations at Jazz.
In addition to the Jazz APP program, any OC student who passes their intermediate airline transport rating (IATRA) exam can qualify to work for Jazz with 1,000 hours flying time and 250 hours multi-engine flying time. If the student graduates from a non-partner institution, he or she would need 1,500 hours flying time and 500 hours of multi-engine time to qualify.