Recently, in Bi'an Township, Jinggu County, a unique "final exam" took place in a rice field, with trainees maneuvering drones in low-altitude flights over cornfields to precisely complete crop protection flight routes. This marked the conclusion of the final drone operator training class in Jinggu for 2026. With these trainees successfully obtaining their licenses, the inaugural drone operator vocational skills training initiative launched by the Jinggu human resources and social security department has been successfully wrapped up.

This initiative represents not just a free certification, but also a new pathway for young people to return to their hometowns. Nine training sessions covered all 10 townships in the county, with 404 trainees earning nationally recognized drone operator certificates. Among them, youth under 35 accounted for over 60%, directly targeting the critical issue of talent gaps in rural youth. The training was completely free and open to key groups such as rural migrant workers, households lifted out of poverty, and unemployed individuals.

What is gaining traction is not only a practical skill, but also a new career avenue taking flight. The results speak for themselves, as told by the trainees themselves. Xu Pisong, a 42-year-old from Mangla Village, Yongping Town, joined the third free training class in May this year, earning his certificate in 15 days and being named an outstanding trainee while serving as class monitor. After training, he used drone-based precision crop protection on his own 55 mu of ginger, doubling efficiency. He also helps neighbors with pesticide spraying, covering 120 mu per day at 18 yuan per mu, earning 2,160 yuan in daily revenue. After deducting roughly 800 yuan in costs, his net income reaches 1,360 yuan per day, with per-mu costs reduced by 70% compared to traditional manual methods. Now boasting an annual income of 300,000 yuan, he plans to encourage more villagers to become "new farmers."

From merely knowing how to fly to becoming truly effective in the field, this training initiative is driving an entire industrial chain. Jinggu is a major agricultural county, where rice, sugarcane, coffee, and tea have long relied on manual management, resulting in low efficiency and high costs. Drones, however, are highly compatible with the agricultural needs of mountainous and semi-mountainous regions, offering applications in crop protection spraying, fertilizing and seeding, agricultural surveying, and emergency inspections. As local officials put it, "This isn't about following trends; it's about addressing the shortcomings in agricultural modernization." To this end, the county's human resources and social security department, together with professional institutions, has brought classrooms directly into the fields, employing a comprehensive teaching approach of "theory plus simulation plus outdoor practice plus certification." The curriculum is closely tailored to local scenarios, covering everything from how to fly for corn pest control, to planning routes in complex sugarcane terrains, to precise spraying in mountain orchards. This exploration avoids making a big show or scattering resources thinly; instead, it stays closely aligned with the actual demands of industrial development, delivering new-era technical skills directly to the people. Trainees can start working as soon as they complete the course, take orders immediately, and achieve the goal of "learning for application and increasing income through skills."

From a simple piece of paper to an entire market, the low-altitude economy is gaining its own local operators. Currently, some trainees have already begun taking on jobs, with services ranging from local grain crop protection to sugarcane aerial spraying and coffee orchard surveying in neighboring counties. A win-win scenario is emerging across three dimensions: industries cutting costs and boosting efficiency, farmers increasing their incomes, and talent taking root in rural areas. These 404 certified drone pilots are not only leading the transformation of agricultural production methods but also serving as the first batch of locally trained talent reserves in Jinggu's low-altitude economy.

Rural revitalization ultimately hinges on people. By delivering drone operation training right to the village doorstep, Jinggu is doing more than teaching a technical skill; it is opening a window, allowing farmers to see the face of modern agriculture, showing young people the possibilities of returning to their roots, and revealing pathways for industrial upgrading in rural areas. As these new farmers stand at the edge of their fields with remote controls in hand, the drones flying overhead are sending a clear signal that the future of the countryside has already arrived.