Students from Seven High Schools in St. James to Benefit from Drone Training Programme

Students from seven high schools in St. James are set to benefit from the recently launched drone pilot programme training, which is spearheaded by the Cornwall College Old Boys’ Association Mid-Atlantic Chapter in the United States (US) and the Sandals Foundation.

The beneficiary institutions are Cornwall College, Spot Valley High, Herbert Morrison Technical High, Maldon High, Irwin High, Mount Alvernia High and Montego Bay High.

The Foundation has donated 20 drones, being used to commence the initiative and which form part of an overall contribution of more than US$10,000 towards the project.

The training will be led by members of the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF), Jamaica Defence Force (JDF) and Jamaica Fire Brigade (JFB) with each cohort of the programme for six to eight weeks.

This will take place on the grounds of Cornwall College with guidance from the United States Federal Aviation Authority Part 107 Course, which is used to certify most drone operators in the US.

During the launch ceremony at Cornwall College in St. James, Director of Operations at the Sandals Foundation, Karen Zacca, said the organisation gravitated towards the project, noting its acknowledgement of the importance of “meeting young people where they are and always responding to this ever-changing landscape that [we] are coming across every day in recent years”.

She lauded the JFB, JCF and JDF and thanked them for making time to reach out to the youth to impart their unique skill sets.

For his part, Commanding Officer for the St. James Police Division, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Eron Samuels, stated that the project will change the landscape of “not just the schools in St. James but across the entire country”.

He noted that there are many job opportunities that can evolve from the drone-training exercise, adding that the project will not only be used for this purpose but also as a mentorship programme.

“Officers from the JCF, JDF and JFB, will be mentoring the youngsters; we will be teaching them about other things such as safety. Fire safety is something that the JFB will bring as always.

Discipline will always be a part of our mantra, and one of the most important things that we must look on is how we will be able to transition these youngsters from the life at school into careers elsewhere,” SSP Samuels said.

The Commander also noted that the JCF will be seeking to recruit “as many of the [students] as possible”.

For his part, Project Coordinator for the Cornwall College Old Boys’ Association Mid-Atlantic Chapter, Neville Bell, told journalists that the training will give the youngsters a “leg up” in terms of finding a career path.

He stated that training and recruitment for various organisations that rely heavily on drones for their operations usually take place in Kingston.

This, Mr. Bell said, inspired the Association’s decision to host the training in the west.

“They (students) go in the same [way] as everybody else who goes to the normal training; but they have a training that others have not yet acquired,” he pointed out.

As part of the proceedings, the JCF also gave attendees a drone-flying demonstration.