Bendigo TAFE students will learn skills needed to use cutting-edge drone technology after the state government announced $1.2 million in funding Thursday morning.
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The funding will be for students across a range of disciplines to apply drone technology, with the Institute for Drone Technology’s Joel Spencer saying currently many of the state’s students were not being taught how to use it.
Yet drones are becoming increasingly common in agriculture, construction, mining and asset management, Dr Spencer said, with many students using the technology “very quickly” after graduation.
Minister for training and skills Gayle Tierney said drones were important for gathering data on farms and for controlling pests and other problems in paddocks.
They were also becoming more important for data gathering in places where it was not safe for people to go.
“They can fly over, and take data so that we can improve on situations like, for example, where there is devastation or buildings that need to be worked on,” Ms Tierney said.
“There’s been a demand for this kind of technology for some time. People understand that if we don’t get into this field in a very serious way we will be left behind.”
The drone announcement came as the state government announced a further $2.2 million for 10 new courses at Bendigo TAFE, including for plumbing, horticulture, disability support, government, agriculture and construction.
The courses had been earmarked after local industry told Bendigo TAFE there were skills shortages or gaps.
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