Every idea is crazy until it isn’t.

In the 1880s, the concept of a gas powered car was laughed at. In the early 1900s, people thought the Wright Brothers were insane. And the internet? Yeah, what a silly idea that was. It’s human nature to discount things that can’t be easily explained.

Enter electric aviation. At the mention of an electric airplane, people cast doubts on the idea. Do they really have enough power? How far can they fly? How can they be recharged?

Just like in all emerging industries, education is the first key to acceptance, adoption, and technological advancement. Which is why BETA started the Mobiledome Roadshow, a program that brings education and exposure of electric aviation, manufacturing, and workplace culture right to Vermont students.

“With BETA coming into the area, it gives students an opportunity to take some of the same skills they’re learning in milling, craftsmanship, iterative design and rapid prototyping, and see what it would look like in the field in an industry that they’re not as accustomed to,”
– Brian Bloomfield, Head of School, Lyndon Institute

At its core, the Roadshow consists of three main teaching tools: mentorship, hands-on demos, and experiential learning in the flight simulator. After all, a technical school student in an automotive program might not have any idea that their skills are directly correlated to composite manufacturing at an electric aviation company. During these Roadshows, students step into the shoes of a team member and experience every corner of the company, from manipulating carbon fiber plies for composite layup, to operating an air compressor fastener tool, and yes — even flying an airplane. At the Roadshow, our decked-out Airstream trailer is fitted with two flight simulators nestled inside. Whether students fly in the virtual reality simulator or the Thunderdome, BETA’s full-scale simulator, it’s likely their first experience flying an airplane.

“With BETA coming into the area, it gives students an opportunity to take some of the same skills they’re learning in milling, craftsmanship, iterative design and rapid prototyping, and see what it would look like in the field in an industry that they’re not as accustomed to,” says Brian Bloomfield, the Head of School at the Lyndon Institute of Vermont.

Bloomfield visited a recent Roadshow, and came away impressed and inspired by what it offered his students, and said:

The time in education where we put someone in front of the room who just talks at kids about the world or about math, or whatever it is, and they become interested … that ship has way sailed. This has to be their journey, it has to be their path, it has to be their choice.

So what’s happening is, when the Mobiledome comes out and we have people from BETA here and you’re talking directly to the kids, we’re not in the middle of it. It’s just between a possible future employer and a possible future employee. I think it’s a great way to get kids inspired, take the skills that they’re learning in high school, and see themselves having good, solid, high-paying jobs in a growth industry right here in Vermont.

As BETA prioritizes investment in these students, more and more of them will learn that we are an accessible option upon graduation. We intend to stay in Vermont, and we hope local students will too. The Roadshow plays a critical role in exposing them to the opportunities ahead, especially to those who may not realize their heavy machining background is actually highly sought after in manufacturing at BETA, or that their knowledge of electrical systems could help with building wire harnesses for an electric aircraft.

“A lot of our manufacturing partners have told us that they could essentially double their production in a year if they had the workforce here in the Kingdom to do it. We really want to be that place that trains them and then gets them right into that pipeline. I don’t think you can get much better than this.”
–David Schilling, Director of Career and Technical Education, Lyndon Institute

And it’s not like these Roadshows are smoke and mirrors. We’re not out here to show off shiny objects (though our planes are pretty damn cool) or tease elite, untouchable roles. Quite the opposite, actually. According to David Schilling, Director of Career and Technical Education, “A lot of our manufacturing partners have told us that they could essentially double their production in a year if they had the workforce here in the Kingdom to do it. We really want to be that place that trains them and then gets them right into that pipeline. I don’t think you can get much better than this.”

With that ethos in mind, we’ve hit all 17 technical centers in Vermont, from St. Johnsbury to Bennington, and connected with students who are great candidates for careers with us.

Our 2024 Roadshow is now complete and our message is clear: we want Vermont students to have access to jobs at BETA straight out of school. With the Roadshow, we tapped into a large population of Vermonters who may never have imagined they could be part of such a revolutionary and values-driven community of changemakers right here in their home state.

And that’s not such a crazy idea, now is it?