Tesla Foundation and East Los Angeles College Create New Program for Unmanned Aerial Systems

LOS ANGELES - Jan. 27, 2017 - PRLog -- Through this new program, ELAC students will be trained on available applications for UAS including cinematography, photography, real estate, security, emergency response, agriculture, oil & gas, mining, construction, surveying, UAS programming, and maintenance. The City of Los Angeles WDB funded the program with a $300,000 grant from its Innovation & Sector-Based Training resources.

"East Los Angeles College is thrilled to partner with the Tesla Foundation and the City of Los Angeles on this ground-breaking program to educate and train our students in Unmanned Aerial Systems," said ELAC President Marvin Martinez. "ELAC is committed to offering an outstanding science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) curriculum to our students, and the Tesla Foundation and City of Los Angeles show they share the same commitment through their support of this program. Our college serves a region where the vast majority of residents are people of color and this program represents a historic step in providing access to cutting-edge technology to students traditionally underrepresented in STEM. This training will increase the number of highly qualified students of color transitioning to employment in the aviation and technology sectors.  Our Engineering and Technologies Department, under the leadership of chair Jose C. Ramirez, will develop 21^st century curriculum to meet industry demands."

"Tomorrow's economy depends on how well we prepare the next generation for the jobs of the future," said Mayor Eric Garcetti. "Our local college campuses are centers of learning filled with students who have the curiosity, skills, and talent to succeed in L.A.'s growing tech sector. This partnership will bring new opportunities to young people, and help shape the city's workforce in the years to come."

"It's a 'Kitty Hawk' moment for the WDB," said Charlie Woo, Chair of the City of Los Angeles Workforce Development Board. "This partnership launches the WDB into an area of new and emerging technology, and lands it at the forefront of preparing workers for the thousands of high-paying UAS related jobs that will flood the market over the next few years."

  "We are honored to partner with the City of Los Angeles and ELAC on this innovative program," said Tesla Foundation CEO Keith Kaplan. "The City of Los Angeles and ELAC are truly setting the example for the rest of the educational system by establishing this program and allowing equal opportunity and access to its innovative learning design. Through the program's technology-focused training and work experience components, participants will learn what it takes to become a part of the emerging UAS workforce and be poised to secure good-paying jobs and careers. Many will become part of complimentary aviation and technology industry sectors that are transitioning from the Information Age to the Autonomous Age."

###The Tesla Foundation is a non-for-profit science and technology Think Tank focused on the transition from the Industrial Revolution 3.0 to 4.0 and the Architect of the Tesla Technology Farm System. As we navigate the shift from the "Information Age" to the "Autonomous Age," education and workforce development must evolve quickly and with great urgency to meet the demands of the "New Economy." The Tesla Foundation accomplishes its non-profit goals utilizing the combined efforts of its technology farm system, research, education, public private partnerships, applications, and high level educational events and summits. It is the responsibility of those that can shape our future to integrate all technology in a safe and ethical manner for all of humankind.

Please visit http://teslafoundationgroup.org/program-support/ for more information.