Clear for takeoff: MAHS chosen for drone program

Mount Airy High School soon may be the launching pad for area students hoping to pursue a career as drone operators.

The school is selected as one of 64 high schools across the state for a partnership with Zipline, a company the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction said is the world’s largest autonomous delivery service.

That new collaboration will give students an opportunity to launch themselves into a future in the Uncrewed Aerial Systems (UAS) field as a drone operator.

“As the drone industry continues its rapid expansion, a new program is creating exciting career prospects for North Carolina’s high school students,” North Carolina officials announced.

“The demand for highly skilled UAS operators and flight operations professionals is on the rise, and this one-of-a-kind partnership provides an innovative pathway program aimed at preparing students for professional UAS careers at Zipline.”

To qualify, students must graduate high school, successfully complete the UAS pathway program, meet GPA requirements and provide a written letter of recommendation from a faculty member. The state advised that those who qualify and are accepted into the program, “are guaranteed an interview with Zipline upon completion.”

As the saying goes, the future is now, and drones are poised to become an important component in supply chain management. Consider how Amazon has paid the United States Postal Service to do Sunday deliveries as the retail giant needed assistance with the last part of making the delivery — soon it may be a drone dropping off prescriptions or must have grocery items for tonight’s dinner.

Zipline is described as a “pioneering” autonomous delivery service whose mission is to provide life-saving medical supplies to those in remote and hard-to-reach areas through drone delivery.

Beginning next school year, this pathway program will be available to the selected schools who already offer drone technology courses in their Career and Technical Education departments, where students study the fundamentals of drones, legal requirements, simulations, drone flight training, mapping and more.

Although Mount Airy High was the only school in Surry County to receive such funding, it was not the only school in this area selected to be part of the new collaboration. Starmount High in Yadkin County will participate, and Wilkes County will be well represented as East Wilkes, North Wilkes, West Wilkes, and Wilkes Central were all chosen.

“The goal of Career and Technical Education (CTE) in North Carolina is to open doors to successful and fulfilling careers for our students through exposure and helping them develop academic, technical and durable skills to use in the workplace,” said Trey Michael, the state department of education’s director of CTE. “This partnership prepares students for a viable career after graduation in a field that is rapidly expanding globally.”

CTE paths allows students to find success whether they choose to attend a two- or four-year college or enter the workforce, as many students are now opting to do. North Carolina Superintendent of Public Instruction Catherine Truitt extolled the virtues of the program and the options it provides, “I’ve long said the purpose of K-12 education is to prepare students to pursue the post-secondary plans of their choice.”

“CTE prepares them for the workplace of tomorrow with hands-on equipment, simulators, and expert teachers,” she said.

The Department of Public Education said that the program will set the stage for graduates to enter “a dynamic field with tremendous growth potential. As the UAS industry evolves, they feel the partnership with Zipline “promises to be a game-changer for aspiring young professionals.”

Joseph Marshall, director of flight operations at Zipline, expressed his optimism about this collaborative initiative. “Zipline and NCDPI have set essential program requirements that will offer high school graduates cutting-edge aviation opportunities right after graduation,” he said.

“We are confident that the pathway program will attract exceptional candidates and contribute to the advancement of the UAS industry.”