Warren UAS has been called a model for drone education across the country. What sets your program apart from other UAS training programs currently available?
Warren County Community College built its WarrenUAS program with the idea that we could train technicians with practical skills and expertise that employers want. As much as WarrenUAS is all about drones and drone education, it is also centered on the notion that we train students to understand the needs of employers, from having technical expertise, to a work ethic, a respect for the profit margin, and an understanding of an employer and their customers/clients.
That’s why our graduates can demand six figure salaries from prospective employers. WarrenUAS, compared to non-academic training programs, can provide a number of degrees that not only teach drone technology but also provide students an Associate’s Degree, allowing them to gain a Bachelor’s Degree with just two additional years of collegiate education.
How do you ensure that your students are prepared for both current and future needs in the fast-evolving drone industry, especially in sectors like public safety, agriculture, and infrastructure inspection?
One of the ways we ensure our students are prepared is by combining a solid, well trained and highly educated full-time instructional staff, coupled with experienced part-time adjuncts who are leaders in the UAS field. They have experience in sectors ranging from the government and the military to the corporate world.. Additionally, WarrenUAS has a robust partnership with Embry Riddle Aeronautical University, where both our faculty and students intermingle and learn from each other.
WarrenUAS also has a non-credit training division for law enforcement, power, gas, agriculture and other corporate entities. So, as students progress through the degree, they have the opportunity to participate in these projects, gaining real-world practical experience and growing their professional networks.
Finally, WarrenUAS was among the first 100 institutions to be authorized by the Federal Aviation Administration to fly drones over people legally, and one of the first 100 to fly drones “Beyond Visual Line of Sight.” Just yesterday, WarrenUAS reached a new milestone that no other education institution has attained. I should be able to share that news in an interview; it is embargoed until Friday.
WarrenUAS is also an AUVSI TOP training provider, one of less than twenty such agencies, its curriculum is certified by ASTM, and it is a member of the FAA UAS-CTI program.
Can you talk about some of the technology and equipment available to students at Warren UAS, and how important hands-on experience is to the curriculum?
Warren has one of the largest fleets (100+) drones for student usage. As a community college, students are provided drones to use in their education here. Thus, unlike many programs, students do not need to provide their own drones.
The US Congress in the form of direct Congressional appropriations to the program have supported the efforts with over a $1.25 million. Warren has the best equipment from manufacturers all over the globe.
Beyond technical skills, what professional or operational skills (like regulatory compliance, mission planning, or data analysis) do you emphasize to give your graduates an edge in the job market?
Students learn all the technical skills, coupled with an advanced aviation education, as well as the skills to write FAA waivers. In fact, it was students who authored one of the first 100 waivers to fly over people approved by the FAA. The ASTM certified curriculum emphasizes safety and aviation education along with business and technical education, making its graduates ready to immediately enter the workforce or transfer on to elite aviation universities
Looking ahead, what are your goals for Warren UAS in the next 3 to 5 years, and how do you see drone training programs evolving nationally as the industry matures?
The goal of Warren over the next five years is to move into training with larger industrial drones and counter-UAS, and while emphasizing the regulatory education that large, energy, and industrial corporations will need to ensure the scaling of their UAS programs. WarrenUAS sees itself as the cost-effective means of getting drone training. Students can obtain their degrees in the coming recessionary period for less than $10,000 total, with textbooks costing no more than $200 per year, meaning it offers one of the most advanced, certified programs at one of the lowest higher education costs in the USA.
