Photo credit: Mark Bealo, Palomar College
As drones continue to become more popular for business and personal use, the demand for professional drone pilots and the need to educate the public on how drones should be used has never been greater.
A group of educators and industry professionals in the San Diego area hopes to increase awareness and promote career opportunities this summer at Palomar Drone-Con. The conference will be held July 6 at Palomar College in San Marcos.
Conference organizer Wing Cheung, Department Chair of Earth, Space and Environmental Sciences at Palomar College said he hopes the event will help strengthen partnerships in an area that has been called the “undisputed drone capital of America.”
“We want to help attendees build professional connections, whether they are students looking to connect with potential employers, educators seeking to connect with others who have already established a drone program, professionals hoping to hire current drone operators, or hobbyists wishing to connect with others who share their interest,” Cheung said.
The conference will include sessions on drone safety, regulations, risk management, and how to build a drone-related business. Each session will be offered multiple times throughout the day, so attendees do not have to miss out on one session to attend another.
The event will also serve as an opportunity for community college students to explore drone-related career pathways and promote Palomar College’s drone certificate program.
The Association of Unmanned Vehicle System International (AUVSI) estimates that drones will create more than 18,000 jobs in California within the next decade.
Cheung said interest in the drone program is on the rise as word about those job opportunities spreads.
“Students have been very excited about our drone-related courses,” Cheung said. The project-based and service-learning components of the courses not only enabled students to apply their skills to solve real-world problems, but also enhanced students’ interest in the curriculum and helped students build professional connections.”
For more information on the Palomar Drone-Con or to register, visit https://palomaruas.weebly.com/.
