Toronto Pearson and Seneca Deepen Partnership to Build Airport Career Pathways

The new education-to-employment agreement aims to connect students and graduates with employers as Canada's largest airport prepares for future growth.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Seneca Polytechnic and Toronto Pearson signed a memorandum of understanding to broaden access to airport-related careers.
• The agreement aims to improve connections among students, graduates and employers throughout the airport ecosystem.
• The partnership supports workforce planning as Pearson proceeds with its long-term LIFT capital investment programme.
• Seneca recently helped deliver the Youth Career Discovery zone at the Toronto Pearson Career Expo.

As Toronto Pearson International Airport prepares for a new phase of infrastructure investment, a strengthened partnership with Seneca Polytechnic aims to connect more students and graduates with careers throughout the airport’s wider employment network. The agreement brings workforce development into the airport’s expansion plans, extending career pathways beyond traditional aviation roles.

Announced in Toronto on 16 October 2026, the new memorandum of understanding between Seneca and Toronto Pearson builds on an existing relationship between the educational institution and the airport. The partners intend to help students discover opportunities within airport operations and related businesses while enabling employers to build a stronger pipeline of prospective workers.

The initiative comes as Pearson pursues Pearson LIFT, its long-term capital investment programme to prepare the airport for projected demand. The expansion provides an important backdrop for the partnership: additional facilities and services require not only construction investment but also skilled people across a range of functions.

Opening up careers across the airport ecosystem

The partners say the agreement will connect students and graduates with employers active throughout the airport community, while broadening awareness of potential careers among learners from aviation programmes and other academic fields. The announcement does not specify new enrolment places, guaranteed job placements or hiring targets under the memorandum.

David Agnew, president of Seneca Polytechnic, said closer links between education and employers can help young people move from classroom learning into work. He noted that the expanded relationship should make the airport’s range of employment opportunities more visible to students and graduates, including those studying beyond aviation disciplines.

Karen Mazurkewich, Toronto Pearson’s vice-president of stakeholder relations and communications, framed the agreement as part of the preparations for airport growth. She said Pearson LIFT makes education-to-employment pathways increasingly important as the airport seeks to meet future workforce needs.

The scope reflects the varied nature of airport employment. Passenger services and airside operations are only part of the picture: a large international airport also depends on commercial services, technology, logistics, facilities management and numerous employer organisations. The agreement’s emphasis is on awareness and employer connections rather than a single qualification or occupation.

Career expo gives students an early look at aviation work

A recent example of cooperation was the Youth Career Discovery zone at the Toronto Pearson Career Expo. Developed with Seneca, the initiative introduced students, teachers and career counsellors to employment possibilities and the education routes that may lead to them.

In an earlier airport update, Pearson said the 2026 career expo involved more than 50 employers, employment service providers and community organisations. The airport also reported that more than 52,000 people work within the Pearson ecosystem and estimated that its LIFT programme could support approximately 16,000 additional jobs by the early-to-mid 2030s. These are airport projections, not employment commitments created by the new memorandum.

For future graduates, the value of the partnership will depend on how the institutions turn broader industry contact into practical access to employers, guidance and career opportunities. For the airport, it offers a framework for engaging prospective workers while planning for longer-term growth.

Greater Toronto Airports Authority operates Toronto Pearson, Canada’s largest airport. Information about its operations and development plans is available from Toronto Pearson. Prospective students can explore programmes and career-focused learning at Seneca Polytechnic.