Minnesota College Starts Unmanned Aircraft Technician Training Programme

Northland Community and Technical College

in Thief River Falls, Minnesota, is training students to repair and maintain unmanned aircraft. The programme just started this month, but officials there say companies are already trying to recruit graduates.

Three years ago the aviation mechanic programme at Northland Community and Technical College nearly shut down because of a lack of students. Consolidation in the airline industry eliminated mechanic jobs and student interest in the profession.

That’s when school officials decided to focus on unmanned aircraft systems. This autumn, the college will have 70 new students in its unmanned aviation programme, Dean for Aviation Jim Retka said. “Obviously the development of our new UAS programme had a lot to do with that,” Retka said of the number of students in the technicians programme.

Students need to pass a standard aircraft maintenance programme before they can take the six-month specialized unmanned aircraft training.  Over the next couple of years, Northland also hopes to attract former Northwest Airlines mechanics who already have basic skills and could go directly into the UAS programme.

The unmanned aircraft technician training is so new there’s not yet a test to certify graduates meet industry standards. Northland UAS and Aviation Chief Operating Officer Scott Fletcher said the college asked the unmanned aviation industry what should be included in the curriculum. The school also worked with an industry group, the national Center for Aerospace and Transportation Technologies, to develop standards for unmanned aircraft technicians. Fletcher said a national certification test should be ready by early next year when the first students graduate. Jobs will be waiting.

“There is a significant need for qualified maintenance technicians in the UAS arena,” he said. “Some of the manufacturers have expressed an interest in coming in to recruit our graduates. So the jobs are there.”

Source: MPR News