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VICTORIA — There’s a new era of drone operators in British Columbia.

The first ever nine participants of the Construction Foundation of British Columbia’s Sky Keepers program are celebrating their graduation.

“We were out for eight days and the attendance of the participants was great to see. The women who completed the program were issued Advanced Drone Certificates. Now, there are industry partners that are interested in taking them on for future employment.” said Aboriginal Training Services founder and owner Darcy Hunt in a news release.

There were nine graduates of the program all hailing from Blueberry River First Nations and 19 more participants are registered for the program this spring.

The Sky Keepers acquired a drone operating certificate at the end of the program and also received safety certifications, computer training, financial literacy, cultural connection workshops, essential skills workshops and more over a 10-week training period.

The Sky Keepers were trained on drone operation by Aboriginal Training Services, targeted around the use of remote piloted aerial systems for consultation, surveying and emergency management.

The cohort flew a DJI M30T drone, generally used in the search and rescue industry, replete with ground penetrating radar and 200X zoom capabilities.

“It’s been an amazing group to work with. There was a sense of engagement, a sense of family, a really tight community,” said Sky Keepers manager of operations Keri Taylor in the release.