Unmanned Safety Institute (USI), the world-leader in remote pilot training and certification, announced that Northeastern Technical College in Cheraw, South Carolina and Hampton Public Schools in Virginia will be delivering USI’s CTE curriculum, the Small UAS Safety Certification™, to their students for the 2019-2020 school year.
Northeastern Technical College is one of the 16 technical colleges that make up the SC Technical College System and has been serving students since 1969. NETC’s mission is to prepare the workforce for local counties through education and training, a commitment they continue to demonstrate by providing their students with the latest training and certifications across all industries. NETC currently offers two options for students interested in an unmanned career path- a 22-credit Unmanned Aircraft Safety (UAS) Certificate and 62-credit UAS Associate of Applied Science Degree. USI’s Small UAS Safety Certification™ will be integrated into these programs and offered as four separate courses. Among other unmanned courses that are part of the certificate and degree programs are Unmanned Aircraft Maintenance, Inspection, & Repair and Aerial Photography. NETC will be launching the program in May 2019 and anticipates a high level of interest from their students. To learn more about the programs and workforce development opportunities that NETC has, visit http://www.netc.edu.
“USI is thrilled to see our program continue to grow throughout the country,” remarked USI President Josh Olds. “Our expansion into South Carolina via Northeastern Technical College demonstrates our dedication to creating a strong and professional unmanned workforce by providing our turnkey curriculum and industry certifications to academic institutions that are interested in offering their students the chance to stand at the forefront of their chosen industry.”
The Small UAS Safety Certification™ is comprised of four courses totaling over 155 hours of instruction. Students who successfully complete the program are eligible to take USI’s credentialing exam leading to the Small UAS Safety Certification, an industry certification demonstrating expertise in the safe and professional application of remotely piloted aircraft making them highly qualified for careers in the burgeoning industry of Unmanned Aircraft Systems, commonly referred to as “drones.” Following certification, students are enrolled into Unmanned Connect, a workforce development program providing direct links to employers that are looking for professional and credentialed remote pilots. To date, more than 6,000 students have successfully completed the program which has already been approved by several State Departments of Education. USI’s program is currently being taught in more than 150 schools across 13 states, with recent expansions in Florida, Washington, and California.
Courses in the STEM curriculum, each earning students three credits, include:
• Unmanned Aircraft – five units of study including robotic aircraft and data links.
• UAS Applications – five units of study including applications, regulations, and operating in the NAS.
• UAS Personnel – three units of study including human factors and aeronautical decision making.
• Safety Management – four units of study including safety policy and safety risk management.
Unmanned Safety Institute offers a total of four courses that have been recommended for college credit by ACE CREDIT. For a complete listing of these courses, please visit the Unmanned Safety Institute’s page on ACE CREDIT National Guide website.

About Unmanned
Safety Institute
USI is widely recognized as the global leader in UAS education and training standards and safety certification delivering the most highly-regarded training programs in the industry. USI delivers turn-key UAS technical education and training programs now being offered in hundreds of flight training institutions, high schools, community colleges, and four-year universities around the country. USI is endorsed by major aviation insurance providers, supports aviation flight departments worldwide with unmanned programs, supports career pathway initiatives with industry leading safety programs, and delivers training programs evaluated and recommended for college credit by the American Council on Education (ACE). USI’s coursework is accepted by the FAA Safety Team for Wings Credit. Discover more about the Unmanned Safety Institute atwww.UnmannedSafetyInstitute.org.