Canadore College and the First Nations Technical Institute (FNTI) are renewing their 16-year partnership to deliver Aboriginal programming and increase access to education for Aboriginal students.

Canadore will once again partner to offer the Aviation Pilot Fixed Wing – Aboriginal program which enrols 45 Aboriginal students each year at FNTI, located in Deseronto, Ont. in the Tyendinaga Mohawk Territory. The College and the Institute first signed a formal agreement in 1993.

The goal of this partnership is to enhance Aboriginal learning opportunities and increase Aboriginal success rates in a postsecondary environment. The program was designed for adaptability, meeting academic and training standards while at the same time allowing for sensitivity to the changing needs of the students and the communities being served.

“The program provides an opportunity for students to receive a broad-based education while fulfilling industry expectations in a supported learning environment. We’ve allowed our partnership to evolve over the years, responding to the education and training needs of our students and industry. Graduates of this program have established aviation careers in a variety of capacities,” said Mary Wabano, Director of the Aboriginal Learning Unit at Canadore College.

This collaborative partnership received an Association of Colleges of Applied Arts and Technology of Ontario (ACAATO) Award in 2004.

Canadore President Barbara Taylor and Academic Dean Lisa McCool-Philbin along with FNTI President and CAO Karihwakeron Tim Thompson and Academic Dean Jan Hill will be on hand for the partnership agreement signing.

The signing will take place on May 13 at the College Drive Campus in room C312 at 11 a.m.