Creating a Workforce Pipeline of Agriculture Drone Operators and Remote Sensing Technicians

Farmers, ranchers, and foresters are experiencing technological shifts in the knowledge and equipment necessary to operate environmentally friendly and economically efficient agribusinesses. Research has been conducted on the use of drone-based geospatial technologies in agriculture for some time, and their applications at the farm and in the field are expanding rapidly.

The goal of this project is to enable the University of Arkansas Community College Batesville (UACCB) to enhance the education of aspiring agriculturalists and conservationists by creating a comprehensive educational pipeline. This project will enable the emerging and current agricultural workforce to apply these advanced technologies in a region where they are not yet prevalent.

Upon program completion students will have earned an FAA Part 107 drone license, Commercial Applicator Technician License, as well as demonstrate proficiency using remote sensing and GIS data analysis software.

The pipeline for geospatial agriculture technicians will begin with academic exposure through summer youth enrichment workshops. Familiarity with state-of-the-art agriculture technologies will serve as a springboard for excitement and understanding of applications for drone technologies in the emerging workforce. The proposed pipeline will feed into UACCB’s Certificate of Proficiency in Agriculture Drone Technology, where students will engage in theory-based instruction and apply knowledge through field-based laboratory exercises.

The project will expand existing credit-based agricultural course offerings to include a sixteen-week Certificate of Proficiency (CP) program focused on educating licensed drone operators and remote sensing technicians. Faculty will redesign existing coursework and develop curriculum for new courses embedded in the certificate program, provide professional development for high school and postsecondary faculty, as well as enhance student awareness of geospatial technologies in agriculture through youth enrichment activities.

This project is funded by the Advanced Technological Education program that focuses on the education of technicians for the advanced technology fields that drive the nation's economy.

This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.