Ponies Up $50K For Helicopter Maintenance Training

Delta, BC-based Heli-One has donated $50,000 to sponsor a rotary-wing classroom at Canada's leading aerospace technology school, BCIT.

"Heli-One feels it is important to support the communities where our staff live and work," said company vice president Norbert Marx, who is responsible for the operations of Heli-One's Delta shop, based at Boundary Bay. "Helping provide the educational opportunities that will upskill members of our community while enabling them to access the high-technology careers that we offer at Heli-One is a win-win for everyone."

Heli-One, a member of the CHC Helicopter group of companies, is a helicopter maintenance and repair company. The Delta-based headquarters of Heli-One employs more than 350 skilled personnel with additional staff at branches in Newfoundland, Colorado, Australia, Norway, the Netherlands, and Scotland, with a presence at dozens of helicopter bases around the world.

"We are fortunate to have a resource like BCIT's aerospace campus in such close proximity," said Marx. "We rely heavily on highly skilled labour and BCIT is an essential supplier of trained people to support our business."

"This support from Heli-One is truly inspiring," said Laurie Clarke, Vice President Development at BCIT. "It will provide our students with easier access to some of the most sophisticated equipment and resources available today ensuring we offer our students the best possible education."

Heli-One specializes in providing third-party maintenance, repair and overhaul services to helicopter operators around the world.

"We have an aggressive growth plan and we see this as a logical investment in our future," said Mr. Marx. "We hope a lot a of our future employees will be former students from that classroom!"

FMI: www.bcit.ca/transportation/aerospace/, www.heli-one.ca