NORTHUMBERLAND COUNTY, Va — Think of all the jobs people do these days that didn't exist ten years ago.
At Northumberland High School, students are learning about future jobs flying drones.
Jay Lightfoot is the Unmanned Aerial Systems Instructor.
This is a new class that only 20 high schools in the state are teaching, all thanks to a grant from the Department of Education.
While looking for a new "hands-on" class, the staff at Northumberland threw out a variety of ideas.
Drones attracted a variety of students.
"At Northumberland, we're very fortunate to have a very diverse population,” Lightfoot said. “And we did a good job with this course attracting a number of different students from a number of different backgrounds."
Drone piloting has moved from a hobby into a serious profession with an over 50% expected growth rate in the next five years.
It’s predicted the drone service market will create about 100,000 jobs by 2025.
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