As electric propulsion gains traction as a potential next wave in aviation technology, hundreds of high school students in New York are getting a head start on maintaining and managing the eVTOL aircraft that could be shuttling passengers around their city in a few years.

Joby Aviation, Inc. (NYSE: JOBY), a company developing eVTOL vehicles for air taxis and similar passenger operations, said it entered a partnership with Aviation High School to train aspiring aircraft maintenance technicians and aerospace leaders for careers in “the electric age of flight.”

The school, located in the Long Island City area of New York’s borough of Queens, was previously called the Manhattan School of Aviation Trades and has operated since 1936. Its main purpose is preparing FAA-certificated airframe and powerplant mechanics. The school is known across the aviation industry, where its graduates account for a significant share of the technical workforce locally.

Joby said working with school and city education and transportation officials helps the company develop strategies for operating within local transportation systems and infrastructures. For the high school, Joby represents an opportunity to expand its programs and prepare students to remain as competitive as possible as air transport evolves.    

“Industry partnerships such as…