Trey Michael, NCDPI’s director of career and technical education, said drone programs have been in place at North Carolina high schools for about a decade. The new pathway partnership starts this school year, offering students in these programs direct access to potential careers at Zipline. But in order to get an interview with the company, students will need a minimum grade point average of 3.5 in the drone program and 2.75 overall, along with a letter of recommendation from a school faculty member.
According to the company’s website, Zipline started out delivering blood by drone in Rwanda in 2016 and now operates “the world’s largest instant logistics and delivery system,” including food and retail delivery by drone across seven countries.
“A foot in the door with a company like Zipline that has an international reach and is time tested in the delivery market, that’s a significant benefit to our students,” Michael said.
Zipline’s site shows plans to open more offices in the United States and the United Kingdom amid a rise in delivery partnerships with companies that range from Walmart to Panera Bread and hospital centers such as Mayo Clinic and Cleveland Clinic. Michael said the NCDPI pathway program should provide a steady stream of candidates to keep up with the company’s demand for qualified employees.
“This is an opportunity for them to tap into a future employee pipeline, if you will, of students that are knowledgeable, skilled, have had supervised practice and have done the work that they’ll expect them to do,” Michael said.
Zipline Director of Flight Operations Joseph Marshall said the NCDPI partnership will prepare North Carolina students for a variety of careers in the growing field of uncrewed aerial systems (UAS).
“Zipline and NCDPI have set essential program requirements that will offer high school graduates cutting-edge aviation opportunities right after graduation,” Marshall said in a public statement. “We are confident that the pathway program will attract exceptional candidates and contribute to the advancement of the UAS industry.”
In addition to the Zipline opportunity, North Carolina students who complete the drone program may choose to pursue postsecondary education, enter the military or find work in a number of other fields that use drones, such as real estate, agriculture and law enforcement. Michael said around 3,000 students typically sign up for the NCDPI drone program, but he expects that number to grow along with the drone industry in general.
