Thanks to nearly $3 million in new grant funding, the CITRIS Initiative for Drone Education and Research (CIDER) at UC Santa Cruz is launching a new program called Drones Uplifting California Communities (DUCC). It will expand CIDER’s workforce development efforts across the state and prepare around 2,000 Californians for drone-related careers.
The awards come from two programs under the California Jobs First Initiative, which aims to create and attract well-paid jobs in the state. A large chunk of the funding, $2.21 million, is from the California AgTech Alliance, an initiative to develop socially responsible agricultural technologies. The Uplift Central Coast Catalyst Fund, which focus on economic resilience in the Central Coast, contributed $500,000.
“Bringing both English- and Spanish-language programming and a ‘train-the-trainer’ model to high schools and community colleges in agricultural regions allows DUCC to provide easy pathways to fast-track ag tech upskilling through public institutions across the state,” said Becca Fenwick, CIDER director.
Electric drones replace some fossil-fuel-based tools in agriculture, leading to lower emissions in operations, giving DUCC-trained students an edge on climate-resilient careers. The grant will also support students using drones in startup creation and entrepreneurship.
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