Driven by its commitment to innovation and excellence, Canada’s aerospace industry stands out as a global leader in 2025. Currently ranked the seventh-largest in the world, it made a sizable economic impact, contributing $29 billion to the country’s GDP with 218,000 jobs, highlighting its remarkable recovery and resilience in the face of recent global challenges.  

Despite its impressive growth, the industry faces hurdles in recruiting and hiring. Aerospace recruitment in Canada is particularly demanding, and it is projected to need 55,000 new workers to keep pace with demand. Companies have been struggling to find qualified and skilled personnel for advanced manufacturing, design, and service positions. This labour gap poses a critical challenge to the sector’s ability to maintain its competitive edge in the global market. Addressing these workforce hardships will be imperative for sustaining growth and innovation as the markets continue to recover and expand.  

Hiring Challenges in Canadian Aerospace Sector

The industry faces serious challenges in employing and recruiting. Several factors contribute to the hiring difficulties, including:  

• Talent Shortage: The demand for skilled workers exceeds supply, creating a labour gap. Finding newly graduated applicants who want to pursue a career in specialized fields of AI, cybersecurity, and advanced manufacturing is one of the most pressing issues faced in aerospace. 
• Aging Workforce: This vital field has a large segment of its workforce approaching retirement. The departure of experienced labourers threatens to create a knowledge gap, with nearly half of workers over 45 years old. 
• Skills Mismatch: Many candidates lack the specific qualifications required for available roles. Half of the surveyed flight operators reported finding it difficult to find qualified and experienced new hires due to not having the basic knowledge of specific positions after training programs. 
• Security Clearance: The current security clearance protocols delay the acquiring, onboarding, and staffing process. These obstacles include outdated processing systems (Web-based Security Clearance Processing System (WebSCPS)), long wait times, and strict citizenship requirements for specific roles, all contributing to potential candidate loss. Streamlining and modernizing the security clearance system is critical for the industry to attract and retain workers effectively. 
• Competition from Other Sectors: Aerospace companies face stiff competition for talent from tech businesses and other high-tech companies. These positions generally yield high pay, faster talent acquisition operations, and fewer difficulties during the onboarding process. 

How to Solve Hiring Challenges in Canadian Aerospace

Addressing the staffing challenges requires a comprehensive and innovative approach. Overcoming these setbacks needs a multi-faceted strategy:

Enhancing Education and Training:

• Work-Integrated Learning: Expand co-op programs and internships to provide students with practical, hands-on experience, bridging the gap between education and trade needs. 
• Reskilling and Upskilling Programs: Offer specialized training programs to current employees to help them stay up-to-date with technological advancements in areas like robotics, unmanned vehicles, and advanced manufacturing. 
• Education Collaboration: Strengthen partnerships between companies and STEM educational institutions to ensure the curriculum meets industry requirements. 

Improving Employee Value Proposition:

• Generational Knowledge: Implement mentorship programs, potentially bringing back retirees to mentor younger workers. 
• Competitive Compensation: Offer attractive salary and benefits packages to retain the most valuable and skilled professionals. 
• Advanced Manufacturing Technologies: Invest in new technologies to attract tech-savvy job seekers and improve productivity. 

Recruitment Strategies:

• Global Talent Acquisition: Expand sourcing efforts internationally to tap into a wider pool of skilled candidates targeting roles that do not require high-level security clearances. 
• Diversity Initiatives: Include programs to attract a wide range of groups that aren’t typically applying, such as women. The male-dominated field could adopt diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) practices to attract more prospects. 
• Hiring and Recruitment Agency: Specialized staffing agencies can expedite hiring for aerospace companies, saving time and money. Their expertise, expansive networks, and pre-vetted candidate pools enable qualified applicants for technical and complex roles. Agencies offer flexible solutions, from contract staffing to full recruitment process outsourcing (RPO), handling all the nuances that come with finding qualified candidates.  

The future of Canada’s aerospace industry depends on solving the shortage of skilled workers. To tackle workforce gaps, companies, schools, and recruiters should team up to find and nurture talented people. By investing in people and embracing new approaches to finding and developing employees, Canada can ensure its aerospace industry continues to soar globally. 

Are you looking for a strategic partner to assist with your hiring challenges? Navigate the complex talent landscape with Acara Solutions. Our staffing expertise in specialized industries and proven strategies can help you find and secure the skilled professionals needed to take your company to new heights. Don’t let worker shortages ground your growth – contact our Acara Solutions team in Ontario today!