Innovation News

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Tulsa Innovation Labs aims to prepare the talent of the future for the jobs of the future—including roles in the rapidly expanding advanced air mobility (AAM) industry. 

To meet this growing demand, Tulsa Tech and Tulsa Innovations Labs have partnered to offer an Advanced Air Mobility Certificate to train students in drone assembly, programming and FAA Part 107 flight training and prepare them for in-demand drone operations and manufacturing jobs. 

The 40-hour hybrid program provides students with a certification that makes them stand out among employers.

"The skills I learned and the information I was given in just 9 months of school made me more prepared—and I would recommend this program to just about anybody who was interested in taking it," said Justin Adair, a recent graduate of the program who is now employed with local aerospace company NORDAM.

Resulting in nearly 200 job placements, students exit the program with hands-on experience, growing a love of manufacturing, and a unique skill-set that sets them apart for employers and contributes to the future of Tulsa’s evolving innovation industry. 

"The results have been so good that many of the employers in the area have come back and said your graduates are teaching our experienced technicians things they didn't even know," said Dr. Matt Litterell, Tulsa Tech's Executive Director of Workforce & Economic Development.

The Tulsa Tech Advanced Air Mobility certificate was created in 2023-2024, and was funded through a grant from U.S. Economic Development Administration's Build Back Better Regional Challenge.