Some of the highest-paying, fastest-growing careers are in fields that may be off the radar of most high schools. Drone piloting, for example, is a field that can pay up to $ 100 an hour for licensed operators in a growing number of industries, including agriculture, emergency services and real estate. Similarly, 360 virtual reality photography is an increasingly in-demand skill, especially in the real estate industry.
This October, 20 high school students will have the opportunity to attend two new training and career programs supported by the City of Wilmington and an association with Drone Workforce Solutions Drone School (DWS).
Theo Nix, Jr. started DWSl in 2015 and in 2017 began offering 10-week training sessions that culminated in overcoming the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) drone pilot test. At $ 7,900, the full course is relatively inexpensive, but it is beyond the reach of many high school students interested in pursuing the field.
The alternative – buying a recreational drone and watching instructional videos on the Internet – may be affordable, but it won’t cut it for those who want to be professional drone pilots.
“There are people who do it online, making money fast,” Nix said Technical.ly in 2017. “We believe this is the way to do it to maintain power. … What we are doing is looking at it in the long run, to employ young people in an industry that is not dying. ”
Ten students accepted into the high school drone training course will receive city-funded scholarships that will cover all course costs, the FAA exam, lunches, and transportation to and from school classes. DWS headquarters located at New Castle County Chamber of Commerce on Christina’s boardwalk. The courses will be taught on Saturdays from October 23 for 16 weeks.
Another 10 students will be accepted into the DWS VR course, a four-week session starting October 23 at the William “Hicks” Anderson Community Center at 501 N. Madison St.
Those who successfully complete the courses will also receive a six- to 12-week paid internship.
According to Nix, drone course students will learn:
- Both unmanned aerial vehicles and unmanned aerial vehicles
- The rules, regulations, and laws on drone operations, including FAA drone governance
- The anatomy of drones currently on the market
- The principles of flight, including Newton’s laws of motion, Bernoulli’s principle, air speed and gravity
- Flight safety and assessment of conditions, including weather and location problems
- Aerial photography and videography and its concepts, including lighting, shutter speed and lens filters
- 3D mapping from the sky using DroneDeploy software
- And, of course, how to blow up drones
RV course students will learn:
- Concepts of virtual reality and 3D virtualization
- The equipment and cameras currently on the market
- 360 camera technology, 3D scanning cameras and editing software
- Safety and assessment of conditions, including weather and site problems
- How to schedule an RV photo shoot that includes pre- and post-capture procedures, photography, and videography
- How to Become an Entrepreneur as an RV Operator
Interested 11th and 12th graders must attend one of three information sessions at the Hicks Community Center on September 23, September 28, or October 5 at 6:30 p.m.
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