As drone use rises, Nevada colleges gear up to train new generation of pilots and programmers
Federal aviation officials have predicted that the fleet of commercial drones in the U.S. could quadruple in size from 2017 levels by 2022, driven by their growing use in real estate and aerial photography, surveying, agriculture inspection and many other fields.
It’s one of the big reasons UNLV is introducing a certificate program this winter that, over two weekends, will not only prepare students for a written test to earn a drone pilot’s license but also offer an internationally recognized training program to set them apart in the field. The program emerges in a state that’s one of seven designated by the Federal Aviation Administration as a drone testing site, as Nevada puts more focus on developing an autonomous technology industry and as drones becomes more ubiquitous.
“There’s a lot more talk about it, it’s in the news a lot more, so we get a lot more interest because of that,” said Heidi Erpelding-Welch, a program developer in UNLV’s Continuing Education department. “It’s so prevalent at this point. It’s something we saw as an additional need for workforce development.”
Drone coursework is gaining popularity in Nevada colleges, too. The College of Southern Nevada (CSN) last year announced plans for a two-year degree program in Unmanned Aviation System Technology.
Read more: https://thenevadaindependent.com/article/as-drone-use-rises-nevada-colleges-gear-up-to-train-new-generation-of-pilots-and-programmers
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