The Drone Academy aimed to show school pupils the benefits of a STEM-based career. Through the scheme youngsters had the opportunity to experience real life STEM (Science Technology Engineering Maths) applications under the expert eye of world-leading local drone specialists, Aerialworx.

Pupils were recruited to the Academy from secondary schools and the programme included practical as well as theory-based sessions, designed to encourage teamwork and critical thinking, as well as develop creativity. The group learnt
how to build as well as use drones safely, with sessions covering everything from programming and building the devices, to flight tutorials.

Aaron Morris was responsible for the project on behalf of Menter Môn. He explained: “We were keen to show the young people who had signed-up to the Academy the different career opportunities available to them if they study STEM subjects and importantly that these opportunities were also available in Welsh. We also wanted to put Anglesey and Gwynedd on the map in terms of Welsh medium digital development in a growing sector.”

An important aspect of the project was working in partnership with Anglesey- based drone company Aerialworx, a world-renowned specialist in drone filming for television and film productions. The company, based in Gaerwen, operates across the globe and has worked on high-profile programmes such as Doctor Who, Hunted and Strictly Come Dancing as well as several Netflix and National Geographic productions. Stefanie Williams, the owner of Aerialworx is a Welsh- speaker from Caernarfon, and was keen to work with Menter Môn to promote the career opportunities associated with drone technology, hoping to inspire the next generation of drone pilots.

The feedback from the group of young people who took part was overwhelmingly positive. Each of the students said that they enjoyed the experience and that it had opened their eyes to a sector that they would not otherwise have considered as a future career.