Unmanned Safety Institute (USI), a leader in remote pilot training and certification, in conjunction with the American Council on Education, will be offering digital badges for students that successfully complete the Small UAS Safety Certification, which was approved by ACE for college credit earlier this year. Students will earn a badge for each of the four courses they complete, which will be awarded electronically. Badges give students the opportunity to showcase their achievement, and can be shared via social media or downloaded and included in resumes or transcripts.

“We are thrilled to announce this brand new digital badging initiative in partnership with ACE and Credly. In addition to offering official transcripts through ACE, we now provide all students who complete our certification programs with digital badges to allow for broad recognition of their hard work and certification status,” USI President Aaron Greenwald said in a press release.

The Small UAS Safety Certification is comprised of four courses totaling more than 180 hours of instruction. Students who successfully complete the program are eligible to take USI’s credentialing exam leading to the Small UAS Safety Certification, an industry certification demonstrating expertise in the safe and professional application of remotely piloted aircraft making them highly qualified for careers in the burgeoning industry of Unmanned Aircraft Systems, commonly referred to as “drones.” Students are then enrolled in USI’s Career Pathways Initiative, providing them with a direct link to employers that are looking for professional remote pilots. To date, more than 2,000 students have successfully completed the program which has already been approved by several State Departments of Education. USI’s program is currently being taught in more than 150 schools across 11 states. USI is in the process of expanding the program into other states across the country and is currently training teachers to facilitate the curriculum for the upcoming 2018-2019 school year.

Courses in the curriculum, each earning students three credits, include:

• Unmanned Aircraft – six units of study including robotic aircraft and data links.
• UAS Applications – five units of study including applications, regulations, and operating in the NAS.
• UAS Personnel – three units of study including human factors and aeronautical decision making.
• Safety Management – four units of study including safety policy and safety risk management.