Why it matters: The Future Aircrew Training (FAcT) program will need flight instructors, maintainers and training specialists at bases in Saskatchewan and Manitoba for the next 25 years. SkyAlyne's new scholarships target Indigenous students in those two provinces, which the company says FAcT program requirements prioritize for Indigenous participation.

Driving the news: SkyAlyne, the CAE and KF Aerospace joint venture delivering FAcT for the Royal Canadian Air Force, has launched the SkyAlyne Indigenous Scholarships Program. The awards cover tuition, living expenses or both for First Nations, Métis and Inuit students in post-secondary programs linked to aerospace, aviation and defence careers.

Applications are open now for the Winter 2027 term.

The details: To qualify, applicants must:

Students from Manitoba and Saskatchewan, where the FAcT sites are located, receive priority. Indigenous students from elsewhere in Canada will also be considered.

Eligible programs run at the certificate, diploma and undergraduate degree levels. SkyAlyne lists examples including commercial pilot, aircraft maintenance engineering, aviation management, aviation operations, instructional design and educational technology.

The company ties those fields to specific FAcT career paths: flight instructor, aircraft maintenance engineer, air traffic controller and courseware developer.

What they're saying: Kevin Lemke, general manager of SkyAlyne, framed the program as a pipeline investment.

"As we continue building Canada's Future Aircrew Training system, we are committed to creating opportunities that support Indigenous students and help strengthen the talent pipeline for the aerospace and defence sectors," Lemke said. "Through the SkyAlyne Indigenous Scholarships program, we hope to empower students to pursue their educational goals and contribute to the future of Canadian aerospace."

He pointed to the length of the contract as the reason the company can take a long view.

"The 25-year length of the FAcT program enables SkyAlyne to work with Indigenous communities and students to support true capacity building over the long-term," Lemke said.

By the numbers:

The bigger picture: FAcT consolidates the RCAF's legacy aircrew training programs under a single contractor. That includes NATO Flying Training in Canada, delivered by CAE in Moose Jaw under a contract that expires in 2027, according to Public Services and Procurement Canada.

Canada's Industrial and Technological Benefits Policy applies to the contract, requiring SkyAlyne to undertake business in Canada equal to its value. The company also gives priority to Indigenous-owned businesses in Manitoba and Saskatchewan on its supplier side, defined as firms at least 51 per cent Indigenous-owned.

The scholarships extend that approach from procurement to workforce development, where FAcT's long-term staffing needs sit.

Background: This is SkyAlyne's second Indigenous scholarship initiative this year. In May, the company and the RCAF Foundation announced 10 scholarships of $1,000 each for Indigenous STEM students with ties to Moose Jaw, Southport, Winnipeg and Ottawa.

The new program differs in two ways. SkyAlyne runs it directly, and it targets FAcT career pathways rather than STEM fields broadly, bringing trades, instruction and course design into scope.

Vanguard covered the FAcT contract award in 2024.

What's next: Applications close at 11:59 p.m. ET on Nov. 18, 2026. SkyAlyne has not disclosed how many scholarships it will award or their value.