Ten trainees from Petrinja, Zagreb, Velika Gorica and Ivančica have begun a six-month training course for drone operators this week. This is the third generation of the programme, which is being implemented at the Petrinja Drone-In Centre for Innovation and Artificial Intelligence.
Trainees will acquire knowledge in information technology, programming, and the construction and operation of unmanned aerial vehicles over the course of six months. The director of the PETRA development agency, Katja Ivančić, highlighted that such a comprehensive programme does not currently exist elsewhere in Croatia. At the end of the training, trainees will present their final projects and obtain certificates for drone operation.
The mayor of Petrinja, Magdalena Komes, described the Drone-In project as one of the most important development projects for the city, alongside infrastructure restoration. "I am particularly pleased that we have young people from different parts of Croatia among the trainees. This confirms that Drone-In is recognised for its quality and that Petrinja is becoming a place where people come to acquire new knowledge and opportunities," said Komes.
The Croatian Employment Service has supported the programme from the start through on-the-job training measures, the head of the local office, Irena Bušić, pointed out. Two previous generations have successfully completed the training, with some trainees already embarking on self-employment and developing their own business ideas.
The centre's director, Karlo Dževerlija, stated that the programme's aim, in addition to the training itself, is to develop innovations, startups, and high-tech jobs, and to position Petrinja as one of the Croatian hubs for the development of new technologies.
