The Unmanned Safety Institute, a subsidiary of ARGUS International, Inc., and the leading provider of educational curriculum and industry certifications to individuals interested in pursuing a career as a professional remote pilot, has announced the launch of the Career Pathways Initiative, an innovative new program that will provide direct job placement opportunities to individuals who hold a valid USI certification.
The Career Pathways Initiative will offer opportunities for USI graduates with internships, externships, and direct job recruitment into high-paying jobs as professional remote pilots. USI graduates include students in high school, vocational and technical schools, colleges and universities, and adult learners.
Since becoming effective in August 2016, 14 CFR Part 107 has seen over 75,000 individuals earning their remote pilot certificate. Part 107, or the “Small UAS rule” as it is commonly referred, consists of Federal regulations governing the commercial use of unmanned aircraft systems, more commonly referred to as drones. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) estimates that by 2020, there could be anywhere from 400,000 to 2.3 million licensed remote pilots in the United States, according to the FAA’s Air Traffic Organization.
The Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International, the world’s largest organization devoted exclusively to advancing the unmanned systems and robotics community, released an economic report in 2013, which also outlined job creation and economic benefits stemming from the small UAS rule. AUVSI’s findings show that in the first three years of integration more than 70,000 jobs will be created in the U.S. with an economic impact of more than $13.6 billion.
This benefit will grow through 2025 and may lead to more than 100,000 new jobs created and an economic impact of $82 billion.
“The Career Pathways Initiative further demonstrates USI’s enduring commitment to promoting the growth of the UAS industry by providing highly trained and certified individuals as professional remote pilots,” said Aaron Greenwald, USI president. “USI determined from the very beginning that our core focus should remain with workforce development and job placement. We have countless partners who have asked for this kind of program, and thousands of graduates who will benefit from it.”
The Unmanned Safety Institute has partnered with Unmannedpower, the recognized leader in professional recruiting dedicated to the unmanned systems industry, to bolster the Career Pathways Initiative by assisting in placing USI graduates, who are qualified pilots, with job opportunities across the UAS industry and in every vertical market it reaches ― from agriculture, oil-and-gas, electric utilities, public safety, infrastructure inspection, metals and mining, and more.
“We recognize that our industry is unique, so we’ve created a unique way to staff it,” said Whitney Brooks, owner of Unmannedpower. “A core part of our new job placement success program is to ensure that the pilots we represent are qualified to safely and proficiently execute our clients’ tasks, which is why we are thrilled to be partnered with USI to help their graduates meet our shared goal of manning the unmanned world.”
USI offers the Career Pathways Initiative to any USI graduate at no cost, and welcomes participation from any employer who would like to hire professional certified remote pilots directly from USI.
