ABC13 Who's Hiring Job Fair: How you could become a pilot without leaving the ground

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- If you've ever wanted to be a pilot, you could soon do so from the office desk, and our ABC13's Who's Hiring Job Fair will explain how.

By the end of the decade, instead of sitting in Houston's traffic, you could fly over it. Wisk Aero is eyeing the Space City for its new service.

It's a growing service, and some feel like it is a new frontier.

"When there will be a lot of these things flying, I can look back and think I was at the origin of that in Houston and in the U.S. in general," Emilien Marchand explained.

Marchand works for Wisk Aero, which is developing aircraft that transport passengers without pilots.

"Which allows us to pass that cost down to customers," Marchand continued. "Therefore, have flights that are increasingly cheaper and more affordable for a larger part of the population."

To make it happen, the company needs skilled workers. Houston Community College Southwest is one place making it happen.

The college offers a drone certification program.

"It's more of a skill demand than a job demand," HCC Southwest interim president Mike Webster said. "You think of construction. If you have a roofer, they're doing inspections now via drones."

FCC data shows five years ago, there were about 2,000 drone delivery flights. Last year, it soared to more than 30,000. So far this year, there have been more than 35,000.

It's not just growth with uncrewed crafts. The Greater Houston Partnership's latest Houston Airport System report shows more than 60 million passengers used the airports.

That's up 7% from the year before. Because of this, aircraft maintenance technician jobs are in demand.

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data shows those careers pay around $75,000 a year. Next year, HCC Southwest will offer a new course focused on these jobs.

"The job market is strong, and there isn't a community college in this region, of the nine, that offers the program," Webster said.

It's a career that can do more than earn you a paycheck.

"It's something that we see as the future of mobility in our metros," Marchand said. "This is what got me into space."

ABC13's Who's Hiring Job Fair episode with Workforce Solutions featuring aviation and aerospace experts will air soon on our 24/7 stream.

We also have a way for you to land a job in person. On Thursday, Aug. 22, Eyewitness News is partnering with Workforce Solutions to host an in-person job fair.

It'll take place from 10 a.m. until 1 p.m. at the Wheeler Avenue Baptist Church located at 3826 Wheeler Ave. in Houston.

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