Through our participation in YES and in partnership with youth@WORK, the participants earned their South African Civil Aviation Authority accredited multirotor remote pilot certificate.

The YES programme is a business-led programme in partnership with government that seeks to reduce youth unemployment by providing work experience to young people, ensuring they are equipped with critical skills.

youth@WORK is a 100% women-owned non-profit organisation focused on youth employment. It provides impactful training that will lead to meaningful development and employment.

This drone piloting initiative focused on developing skills in fields that provide opportunities for employment, career growth, critical thinking and overall development.

Participants received theoretical knowledge and practical flight training to kickstart their journey to becoming skilled drone pilots. This included an intensive course where participants learnt about regulations and laws governing air traffic meteorology and unmanned aircraft systems. They also received practical flight training, specifically manoeuvres, waypoint navigation, autonomous flying and emergency response.

Training was conducted on multirotor drones given their versatility, stability and use in high-demand sectors.

The programme has opened doors for participants to explore careers in aerial photography, agriculture, infrastructure inspection and surveying.

Three of the eight participants who completed the programme went on to obtain their remote pilot certification, aviation certificate and Private Security Industry Regulatory Authority (PSIRA) certificates. They have been placed at UDS UAV Solutions, where they are preparing to lead their own projects and offer solutions in security.

One participant joined Valterra Platinum for a three-year internship in the engineering field, one joined Ola Africa Media Foundation as a drone pilot working in film, and one participant was placed as a fitter antenna specialist.

The participants who have not yet secured employment are receiving additional support to ensure they are able to apply their skills meaningfully.