Winnipeg’s Tec Voc school opens state-of-the-art aerospace training shop

Tec Voc High School

Students at a Winnipeg technical high school now have the opportunity for hands-on aerospace training thanks to a new state-of-the-art shop, the province announced Thursday.

A brand-new facility is opening at Technical Vocational High School (Tec Voc), that will accommodate a total of 272 Grade 9-12 students plus 43 adult learners.

The 5,800-square-foot renovation and a new two-storey addition to the school were completed in December of last year and will give students training on industry-standard equipment — which will help grads meet apprenticeship standards for the Level 1 aviation maintenance journeyperson program.

“Technical vocational education gives students the opportunity to gain employable skills and explore career options in trades and technology in an environment modelled after the workplace,” Manitoba Education Minister Nello Altomare said.

“This new aerospace shop at Tec Voc will benefit Manitoba students for generations to come.”

The minister said Manitoba has the third-largest aerospace industry in Canada and has been the fastest to return to pre-pandemic levels.

“(The new facility) will help alleviate some of those staffing pressures that we’re feeling throughout the country, and continue to have Manitoba at the forefront — not only in training, but also providing the proper staff and workers for the industry that’s here right now.”

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Department head and teacher Dave Tapley says this facility will allow Tec Voc to expand the program as needed.

“We built this new facility that’s adaptable to any changes or modifications and future technologies in this vocation,” Tapley said, “along with our welding in aerospace programs and machining programs across the hall.

“These renovations and additions allow us to enrol more students interested in these vocations, and allows us to provide stronger, more practical, deliverable learning objectives in a much more comfortable — and more importantly, more adaptable — learning environment.”

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