Members of the Royal Canadian Air Force and Red River College meet prior to the College delivering specialized training in welding to select RCAF Aircraft Structures Technicians.

Selected candidates of the Royal Canadian Air Force started receiving specialized training in welding starting this February 5 thanks to a new contract awarded to Red River College.
“This is an exciting collaboration for us because we will be working directly with the Royal Canadian Air Force, which is consistent with our mandate to support workforce development for industry” said Oyedele Ola, Manager of the Technology Access Centre for Aerospace & Manufacturing (TACAM) at Red River College.
The Department of National Defence (DND) contract will see up to 18 military Aircraft Structures Technicians trained per year until March, 2020, learning industrial welding techniques at the College.
As part of the agreement, DND will be selecting qualified journeymen employed in a welding environment for training. The College will provide these candidates with introductory training in welding at College facilities along with necessary materials, tools, and protective equipment.
Course content includes plasma arc operations, gas metal arc welding, shielded metal arc welding, gas tungsten arc welding, oxy-acetylene cutting and brazing. Successful candidates will be awarded achievement certificates upon completing the course.
TACAM has partnered with over 40 companies to-date, providing some 250 training contracts for external organizations, totalling over 80,000-person hours in training to regional businesses and organizations. TACAM is a conduit for innovation, supporting the aerospace & manufacturing sectors by providing access to technological assets, applied research expertise & specialized training.