Aerial firefighting company Coulson Aviation is the first aviation firm to receive approval from Transport Canada as an approved training organization (ATO). The ATO status enables Coulson to provide training for technician candidates toward their Canada aircraft maintenance engineer-structures (AME-S) certification.
Coulson is providing the training free of charge to qualified aviation maintenance students who are on the company’s payroll. They can earn money while training and also elect to work after school hours for Coulson. Once graduated from the program, Coulson guarantees full-time employment and will help the students earn their full AME-S license. The training covers sheet metal, composite, wood, and fabric structures and could also qualify students to take the FAA mechanic written exam leading to an airframe rating.
“This approval is a huge milestone and tremendously valuable to Coulson, allowing us to hire, train, and educate hand-selected team members,” said Coulson Aviation president and COO Britton Coulson. “By going through their schooling and apprenticeship here at Coulson, working alongside licensed team members on actual aircraft and projects, they become much more well-rounded technicians. As Coulson continues to grow, we see this re-investment in future technicians as a path to sustainably maintain a well-trained and dedicated workforce.”