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High school students toured the Joby Aviation simulator visiting Vaughn College to learn about eVTOLs.
The FAA awarded eight projects across 26 states in early March to accelerate the addition of next-generation aircraft into the National Airspace System as part of the Electric Vertical-Takeoff-and-Landing Integration Pilot Program. This innovative approach will shape the implementation of the sector.
In announcing the winning projects, U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy noted, “Working together, we will ensure that America leads the way in safely leveraging next-gen aircraft to radically redefine personal travel, regional transportation, cargo logistics, emergency medicine and so much more.”
The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which manages the airports and other major infrastructure in the New York region, was awarded one of the projects. Its goals are to conduct operational demonstrations, explore passenger operations from the Manhattan heliport and generate data and information that will assist the FAA in setting policy and procedures to ensure the safety of the complex airspace in and around New York City. The Port Authority’s proposal includes what is sometimes referred to as a “triple helix” collaboration among government, industry and higher education. Together, these partners can create an innovative ecosystem.
In addition to the Port Authority, the project partners include electric vertical-takeoff-and-landing (eVTOL) manufacturers Archer Aviation, Beta Technologies, Electra.aero and Joby Aviation, as well as Vaughn College, an aviation-focused institution in New York City. Vaughn’s role is to help build the workforce to drive the success of this next-generation project.
A great example of a successful “triple helix” is a project in Auckland, New Zealand, that sought to expose underserved populations (in this case Maori and Pasifika students) to science, technology, engineering and mathematics and entrepreneurship pathways. The program included government, industry, universities and communities working to create direct career pipelines to employment and to ensure that curriculum was relevant and aligned with changing industry needs as well as expanded access to training and employment. How was this different from a simple partnership? The key was that the institutions involved operated “outside of their lane,” sharing knowledge, data and strategy to achieve success for all the partners—something that could not have been achieved by just one of the partners. The results in New Zealand included the development of a replicable, scalable workforce pipeline model.
Making eVTOLs a success requires a workforce that is ready to go. The workforce demands for every aspect of aviation are well known—in some cases, we will not produce enough talent—and the advanced air mobility sector is not included in those calculations. Research done by the FAA-led Youth Access to American Jobs Aviation Task Force in 2022 found that unless a young person had a family member or friend with a job in aviation, they knew little to nothing about the myriad aviation and aerospace career options. As an industry, we must create the desire and interest among young people to meet our employment needs. The eVTOL industry provides exciting equipment to help us do that.
Aligning training and education needs for an emerging industry enables places like Vaughn to assist in shaping the industry. By bringing industry partners into the learning process even before precise needs have been identified, institutions can assist with standards and expectations, embed safety and ensure equitable access. As the industry matures, educational programs can adapt as the needs do and respond in real time to changes in required skill sets and competencies. Successful employees will then be more likely to contribute to their communities and the local economy. Done well, such an effort would promote investment by other potential partners in New York and give the city a competitive advantage and a long-term economic win.
The Port Authority’s approach to the Electric Vertical-Takeoff-and-Landing Integration Pilot Program can create synergy and collaboration that enables all the partners to succeed. The Port Authority will have a way to transport more passengers to airports safely while keeping them off congested roadways, the eVTOL community will be able to demonstrate effective and efficient service delivery, and Vaughn College will have a process of curriculum design and ongoing skills alignment that provides students employability. Together, these three partners will help shape the FAA’s regulatory environment, too, which will drive safety, standards and success.
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